Preparing Yourself for a Flood

There are all kinds of floods, ranging from floods of biblical proportions to simple water hose leaks. You need to make your preparations even before any flooding occurs.

If the flooding is caused by a weather event, get in touch with the local agency to find out if your house is located in a flood zone. Discover what your local warning signals will be. Be aware of designated evacuation and transportation routes as well as emergency shelters. Practice flood evacuation routes with family members, and designate a contact person who lives elsewhere in case separation occurs. Every member of the family must be aware of the contact person’s information. For those with multiple-story homes, place expensive or precious belongings on the upper story to avoid damage from flooding. Your car’s fuel tank should be kept filled.

Get ready by gathering emergency gear for your house. Supplies you will need are a radio that runs on batteries along with back-up batteries, and plenty of flashlights. Keep food items that won’t spoil and a manual can opener on hand along with drinkable water supplies at one gallon per day per person for up to 5 days. Those who are pet owners must prepare for them as well.

Get together a first-aid kit which contains all your regular prescriptions. Get a water-proof container to store your vital documentation such as medical and insurance forms and IDs. Collect your personal hygiene equipment as well as handi-wipes or baby wipes in case you can’t take a bath.

In case a flood watch or warning has been issued, keep tuned to local tv and radio stations for further alerts. Find the location of your main power source for utilities and know how to turn it off in case you need to evacuate or in case it floods.

Should the need for evacuation occur, keep in mind this FEMA tip and never try walking in rushing water. A person is liable to fall in just a half foot of moving water. Hold a stick ahead of you to determine if the ground is sufficiently firm. Avoid driving your car in standing water since this can submerge the base of your car and lead to stalling or lack of handling. Cars can float in only 12? of water, and SUVs can be swept away by just 2 feet of moving water. Besides the danger of stalling, your vehicle’s exhaust pipe could be submerged, which will result in deadly carbon monoxide filling the car.