Evacuation Plan for a Flood

Flash floods kill about 200 people each year in the United States, making floods the leading weather-related cause of death. Making a flood evacuation plan for your household before the storm season approaches can help curb those numbers by helping you get out of harm's way before the flood occurs.

Before Storm Season: Emergency Kit

• Assemble an emergency kit to take with you when you evacuate. Ideally, you should have one at home, one at work and one for your car, but assemble at least one kit and keep it in the location you most often frequent. The items in this kit will help you survive until you can reach your destination, especially if you become stranded. At a minimum, the emergency kit should include:

  a three-day supply of nonperishable food and water (one gallon of water per person, per day)
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  a NOAA weather radio and extra batteries;
  a flashlight and extra batteries
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  a first-aid kit
  a first-aid manual
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  moist towelettes and toilet paper
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  matches and a waterproof container
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  a whistle
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  extra clothing
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  kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, such as a can opener
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  photocopies of credit cards and identification
  a list of the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of everyone in your household
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  contact information for households' workplaces and schools
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  emergency contact names and telephone numbers and an out-of-town contact and telephone numbers
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  cash and coins
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  prescription medications, eyeglasses, contact lens solutions, and hearing aid batteries, if needed
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  formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers, if needed
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  pet carrier, if needed.

Before Storm Season: Planning

• Plan and map at least four evacuation routes, each in a different direction. Provide a copy of the maps for each member of your household. Identify a neighborhood meeting place to embark from in a flood. Also, determine the destination location your household will meet at for each evacuation route. If you have pets, identify a hotel or shelter that accepts pets. (Many shelters do not.) Share all of this information with each member of your household. FEMA provides a free wallet-sized card for this purpose, available at http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/FamEmePlan.pdf.

Before the Storm

• When inclement weather is forecast in your area, double-check your evacuation routes for construction projects and closed or limited access roads. Choose an unencumbered route by which to evacuate. Check the battery-powered items in your emergency kit to ensure the equipment works and the batteries are good. Review your household evacuation plan as a group. If you can, travel as a group, but if you become separated, everyone will know the destination location. Make sure you have a full tank of gas in your car. If you don't own a car, then make travel arrangements with friends or contact your local government to learn about community evacuation plans.

During the Storm

• Keep your NOAA weather radio on at all times to receive immediate broadcasts of weather watches, warnings and evacuation orders. Also, keep your television tuned to a local station to get updates of traffic, road conditions and additional weather information. As soon as authorities order an evacuation, proceed according to your plan.

Evacuation

• Follow your evacuation route as closely as possible, but if you come to an area of standing water over the road, turn around. Just six inches of standing water can take you off your feet, and two feet of water can sweep away a vehicle. If the road is closed, follow the provided detour. If no detour is provided, turn around and find an alternate route to your destination.

After the Storm

• Although the storm may have ended, it may not yet be safe to return home. Wait for authorities to announce that it is safe to return before doing so. Remember to restock your emergency kit upon your return so it will be ready for the next event.