🌊 Flood Safety and Recovery
How to stay safe during floods and navigate the recovery process.
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States. Even a few inches of water can cause significant damage.
Before a Flood
•Know your flood risk at flood.gov
•Consider flood insurance (most homeowner policies do not cover floods)
•Prepare a go-bag with essentials
•Know your evacuation route
•Move valuables to higher floors
During a Flood
•Turn Around, Don't Drown — never walk, swim, or drive through flood waters
•Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down
•12 inches of moving water can carry a vehicle
•Move to higher ground immediately if told to evacuate
•Avoid contact with flood water — it may be contaminated
After a Flood
•Return home only when authorities say it is safe
•Document all damage with photos and video
•Clean and disinfect everything that got wet
•Throw away food that contacted flood water
•File your flood insurance claim immediately
•Apply for FEMA assistance if declared
Key Resources
•FloodSmart: floodsmart.gov
•National Weather Service: weather.gov
•FEMA Flood Maps: msc.fema.gov