Are you ready for a Flood or a Flash Flood?
Information courtesy of:
American Red Cross
Reprinted by Permission of the American Red Cross (1997)
Know what you can do to prepare for a Flood or a Flash
Flood
Know what to expect:
Know your area’s flood risk - if unsure, call your
local Red Cross chapter.
If it has been raining hard for several hours, or steadily
raining for several days, be alert to the possibility
of a flood.
Listen to local radio or TV stations for flood information.
Floods can take several hours to days to develop:
A flood WATCH means a flood is possible in your area.
A flood WARNING means flooding is already occurring
or will occur soon in your area.
Flash floods can take only a few minutes to a few hours
to develop:
A flash flood WATCH means flash flooding is possible
in your area.
A flash flood WARNING means a flash flood is occurring
or will occur very soon.
Prepare a home Flood plan:
Check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance
to see if it covers flooding. If not, find out how to
get flood insurance.
Keep insurance policies, documents, and other valuables
in a safe-deposit box.
Assemble a Flood Safety Kit containing:
First aid kit
Canned food and can opener
Bottled water
Rubber boots and rubber gloves
Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries
Identify where you could go if told to evacuate. Choose
several places...a friend’s home in another town,
a motel, or a shelter.
When a flood WATCH is issued:
Move your furniture and valuables to higher floors of
your home.
Fill your car’s gas tank, in case an evacuation notice
is issued.
When a flood WARNING is issued:
Listen to local radio and TV stations for information
and advice. If told to evacuate, do so as soon as possible.
When a flash flood WATCH is issued:
Be alert to signs of flash flooding and be ready to
evacuate on a moment’s notice.
When a flash flood WARNING is issued:
Or if you think it has already started, evacuate immediately.
You may have only seconds to escape. Act quickly!
Move to higher ground away from rivers, streams, creeks,
and storm drains. Do not drive around barricades...they
are there for your safety.
If your car stalls in rapidly rising waters, abandon it
immediately and climb to higher ground.
Prolonged rainfall over several days can cause a river
or stream to overflow and flood the surrounding area. A
flash flood from a broken dam or levee or after intense
rainfall of one inch (or more) per hour often catches people
unprepared.
Regardless, the rule for being safe is simple: head for
the high ground and stay away from the water. Even a shallow
depth of fast-moving flood water produces more force than
most people imagine. The most dangerous thing you can do
is to try walking, swimming or driving through such swift
water.
Still, you can take steps to prepare for these types of
emergencies. Have various members of the family do each
of the items on the checklist below. Then hold a family
meeting to discuss and finalize your Home Flood Plan.
Determine whether you’re in a flood area.
Flood area: ____ Yes ____ No
If in a flood area, is flooding covered under your homeowner’s
or renter’s insurance policy?
Flood insurance: ____ Yes ____ No
If flooding is not covered under your homeowner’s
or renter’s policy, flood insurance is available from:
_____________________________
Keep current copies of all important papers or valuables
in a safe-deposit box.
Location of safe-deposit box:______________________________
Put together a Flood Safety Kit in a clearly labeled, easy-to-grab
box.
Location of Flood Safety Kit:______________________________
Write instructions on how and when to turn off your utilities
- electricity, gas, and water.
Instructions written:______________________________________
Decide where your family would go in case you must evacuate.
Clear your plan with the relatives or friends you plan to
stay with - or go to a Red Cross shelter. Also, get an extra
map and mark two alternate ways to reach that destination.
Add the map to your Flood Safety Kit.
Evacuation plan completed:________________________(date)
And remember...when a tornado, earthquake, flood,
fire, or other emergency happens in your community, you
can count on your local American Red Cross chapter to be
there to help you and your family. That’s been our
role for more than 100 years.
ARC4458 January 1991
