Floodwaters pose serious threats, as they may contain oil, gasoline and raw sewage as well as being electrically charged from underground or fallen power lines.
Avoid driving through flooded areas; even six inches of water can make driving hazardous, leading to losses of control of the vehicle and even flash flood deaths occurring within vehicles.
1. Pack A Kit
One way to prepare for flooding is to put together an emergency kit, also known as a go bag. These packs should include items such as first aid kits, water, food, flashlights, radios and copies of important documents for you and your family.
Make sure that these kits are easily portable, and that everyone in your household knows where they can be found. Keep a portable water filter such as the Survivor Filter straw in your emergency bag to ensure access to clean drinking water in times of crisis.
If you live in an area prone to flooding, it’s essential that valuables be moved to higher ground and secured with sandbags or plastic sheeting so as to protect them from rising flood waters. Furthermore, an evacuation plan for your household should be drawn up and practiced regularly in case a disaster should strike.
2. Move Away From The Water
Floodwaters should always be treated with caution; they can contain hazardous substances like chemicals, gasoline and raw sewage that can make you sick. They can also be slippery and hazardous.
At all times, stay clear of water. Even inches of swift moving current can quickly overwhelm and disorient anyone caught nearby; children and pets in particular can become easily carried off by currents or trapped under debris.
Always follow the directions of authorities during a flood. They have the best knowledge about which areas have been affected and which flooded locations should be avoided. If instructed to evacuate immediately, do so without delay. Never drive around barricades as they exist for your protection; they exist for safety. If trapped in your vehicle try climbing onto its roof to signal for help while also staying away from any potentially collapsing buildings and walls as these could collapse at any moment.
3. Keep Your Eyes Open
Keep in mind that flood water contains contaminants such as sewage and chemicals which could potentially lead to serious health issues if consumed or touched, so take extra caution if exposed.
Keep an eye out for mold, which thrives in damp environments and quickly spreads to adjacent materials. If any signs appear, take immediate steps to clean and dry any affected items immediately.
Documenting everything is of utmost importance when filing an insurance claim due to flood waters, and taking pictures early will help your insurer assess the extent of damage more easily. Also keep a notebook for recording conversations with insurance adjusters that will help keep everything straight later on.
4. Stay Away From The Damage
Flood water can hide debris, animals and electrical wires that pose potential safety threats, as well as sewage, chemicals and dead animal or human material which may pose health threats if touched with bare skin.
Six inches of flowing water can knock you off your feet, and drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths. Be cautious driving in flooded areas – two feet of floodwater is enough to sweep cars away!
Before flooding hits, take steps to prepare your home by moving items to higher floors and covering ground-floor windows with plywood. Also switch off power at your main breaker and gas lines so as to avoid dangerous fumes and electrocution from flooding.
5. Be Prepared
According to this article on wateroam.com, if you live in an area prone to flooding, be sure to closely follow storm reports and learn evacuation routes and shelter plans. Also prepare an emergency kit and create a family communications plan; consider elevating your home if possible and installing check valves; store important documents in waterproof containers and make password-protected digital copies for storage purposes.
Do not attempt to walk or drive through moving flood waters. Even six inches of swift moving water is enough to knock you over and carry away your vehicle, accounting for nearly half of flash flood deaths each year in vehicles alone. If your car becomes bogged in rising waters, get out through its roof or move higher uphill as soon as possible for safety.
Staying away from contaminated surfaces is important when floodwater is present, as standing floodwater can spread infectious diseases and chemical hazards. Heavy work gloves, protective clothing and masks should always be worn when cleaning up sewage or hazardous substances; swimmers should never enter floodwaters as these waters contain bacteria that could spread disease and parasites that could make you ill.
6. Don’t Fight The Current
Rather than fighting the current, it’s best to remain calm and find something solid to grasp onto. If this fails, just keep your head above water at all times until help arrives and don’t give up anything until help arrives.
Floodwaters should always be considered polluted with sewage and chemicals as well as debris such as dead animals. Therefore, when cleaning up after disaster strikes it’s wise to wear protective clothing in order to stay safe.
If possible, shut off all water sources that have caused flooding – this should be easier if you know where the valves are. These typically are found in laundry rooms and bathrooms. Furthermore, listen to battery-operated radio stations for emergency alerts from authorities and instructions from them.
7. Don’t Be Afraid To Call For Help
Flooding is a natural calamity that can strike anytime, anywhere and can be caused by various sources such as rainfall, dam or levee failures, ice jams and the sudden release of excess river water. Therefore, it is crucial that families create and practice plans to prepare themselves against flooding in their area.
Make sure you always have non-perishable food, cleaning supplies and water in both your home and car, along with extra blankets and pillows. Store important documents in waterproof containers with password protections to safeguard digital copies. Clean drains and gutters on a regular basis for optimal health.
Before flooding waters arrive, it is also wise to disconnect power and outdoor gas lines connected to your house in order to reduce the risk of electrocution or fires. Doing this can prevent accidents resulting in electrocution or fires occurring unexpectedly.
8. Stay On High Ground
Floods are one of the most frequent natural disasters in the US and can cause irreparable damage, as well as being extremely hazardous or even lethal. That is why it is vitally important that people understand how to survive flood disasters, as well as being prepared for them.
When flood warnings are in effect, stay clear of moving water and do not attempt to drive through it. Even six inches of moving water can knock you over; one foot could sweep away your car completely. Also avoid bridges over fast-moving streams as they could collapse at any moment without notice.
After floodwaters recede, do not return to buildings or areas impacted by floodwaters. Standing water may contain bacteria, chemicals or debris from dead animals and people that pose a significant health threat and should be avoided at all costs.
Recent Comments