How to React in the Event of a Flood

It's been raining pretty hard in your area for the last several days. One day, you are watching the news and hear the weather forecaster talking about the river rising to near flood levels, which creates panic for you and your family, along with the other residents of your area. The conditions aren't going to get any better either.

Then one day it happens: The river may spill over any minute and the emergency management agency in your area issues a mandatory evacuation order. What do you do now?

Remain calm, especially if you have younger children or elderly people living with you. Understand that the evacuation order is for everyone's safety and figure out a plan about where you are going to go. The best place to go is to a friend's or relative's home out of the warning area or on elevated ground. Also, the Red Cross chapter may set up evacuation shelters in schools or churches across the area.

When you are preparing to leave your home, move all valuables that are on the first floor or in the basement area up to the second, and if you have one, the third floor in your house. This will prevent these items from being damaged should you have water come into your house.

If you can't take your pets with you, make sure to give them plenty of food and water for the time that you are gone. If you are taking them, bring their food and dishes, as well as some toys and a bed if they have one.

When deciding what to pack, take enough clothes for 2-3 days of evacuation time. Even if you won't be gone that long, you will need as much as possible. You should also take a cooler of cold drinks and a couple bags of snacks. Tell everyone in your family to pack anything important to them such as pictures of friends or anything that has to do with a favorite hobby. They will have something to comfort them as well as having things that are guaranteed to not be ruined by possible damage.

As for bedding, you may usually only have to take a blanket if your friend or relatives can let your family sleep on the floor or on couches. If you are headed to a shelter, bedding and cots are provided.

Keep your eyes on the television for future weather forecasts (they will keep viewers updated on river levels) and any news pertaining to how long the evacuation order will last. The newscast may not be ongoing, but there will probably be a scroll bar on your screen with all the latest information.

Do not leave until an emergency management official says it is OK to do so. Again, this announcement will be delivered on television, but may also be put on the radio as well.

If you have chosen to not evacuate, pay attention to police orders regarding a curfew. They will tell you that you have to be off the streets and in your house by a certain time. They will also let you know when you can't be near river areas, so if an officer tells you to not be near the river area, don't go up there.

When you get back home:

If you have no flood damage, move your valuables back to their original location. Encourage everyone else to unpack and get things back to normal.

If others have water damage, help them in any way you can. Go through their belongings with them and help them figure out what they can save. You can offer to help people pump water out of their basement or other rooms in their house.

In some cases, a flood may prompt the water company to temporarily shut off water service to some areas. Make sure you know where to get fresh water if this happens to you and conserve what you get.

Try to help clean up any damage in your community or donate money to a fund to help people whose homes were hit hard by the flooding.

Any natural disaster is a scary and uncertain time. We all hope that it won't be us facing the damages, but we never know who will be hit the worst. Keep your family together and offer assistance to anyone who needs it, and this situation will get better in time.