Floods

Flood waters can be extremely dangerous. The force of six inches of swiftly moving water can knock people off their feet. The best protection during a flood is to leave the area and go to shelter on higher ground.

Flash flood waters move at very fast speeds and can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings, and obliterate bridges. Walls of water can reach heights of 10 to 20 feet and generally are accompanied by a deadly cargo of debris. The best response to any signs of flash flooding is to move immediately and quickly to higher ground.

Cars can be easily be swept away in just 2 feet of moving water. If flood waters rise around a car, it should be abandoned. Passengers should climb to higher ground.

NOAA Says: Turn Around, Don't Drown!

Danger Zones
Floods and flash floods occur within all 50 states. Communities particularly at risk are those located in low-lying areas, near water, or downstream from a dam.

What is a Flood?
Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters--except fire. Most communities in the United States can experience some kind of flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms, or winter snow thaws. Floods can be slow, or fast rising but generally develop over a period of days.

Dam failures are potentially the worst flood events. A dam failure is usually the result of neglect, poor design, or structural damage caused by a major event such as an earthquake. When a dam fails, a gigantic quantity of water is suddenly let loose downstream, destroying anything in its path.
 

What is a Flash Flood?
Flash floods usually result from intense storms dropping large amounts of rain within a brief period. Flash floods occur with little or no warning and can reach full peak in only a few minutes.
 

Help Your Community Get Ready
The media can raise awareness about floods and flash floods by providing important information to the community. Here are some suggestions:

Publish a special section in your local newspaper with emergency information on floods and flash floods. Localize the information by printing the phone numbers of local emergency services offices, the American Red Cross, and hospitals.

Interview local officials about land use management and building codes in floodplains.

Work with local emergency services and American Red Cross officials to prepare special reports for people with mobility impairments on what to do if an evacuation is ordered.

Periodically inform your community of local public warning systems.
 

Did You Know....

Individuals and business owners can protect themselves from flood losses by purchasing flood insurance through National Flood Insurance Program. Homeowner's policies do not cover flood damage. Information is available through local insurance agents and emergency management offices.

Flooding has caused the deaths of more than 10,000 people since 1900. Property damage from flooding now totals over $1 billion each year in the United States.

More than 2,200 lives were lost as a result of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889. This flood was caused by an upstream dam failure.

On July 31, 1976, the Big Thompson River near Denver overflowed after an extremely heavy storm. A wall of water 19 feet high roared down the Big Thompson Canyon where many people were camping. 140 people perished and millions of dollars of property were lost.
 

If Your Home is Flooded

• Be sure utilities are off. Don't turn them on until notified.
• Avoid weakened structures, particularly floors, walls and rooftops to avoid structural damage.
• Do not pump basement out until flood water recedes.
   

Drinking Water

If your well has been flooded, assume the water in your home has been contaminated. Follow the directions on the right side of this page to disinfect your well.

If you are on public water, your local health jurisdiction will let you know, through local media, if your water is not safe to drink.

Bottled water is the best choice. If you can, get commercially bottled water that has been stored for less than 6 months in tightly sealed containers. Plan for one gallon per person per day.

If the water from your tap is clear-

• Boil it for 3 minutes to disinfect. This kills disease-causing bacteria and parasites, or
• Add 1/8 teaspoon household bleach per gallon of water. Let it sit for 1/2 hour.

If water is cloudy -

• Filter it by pouring it thru a coffee filter and then boil it for 3 minutes.
• If you can't boil it, filter it and add 1/4 teaspoon of household bleach per gallon of water. Let it sit for 1 hour.
   

Clean Up/Hygiene

• Wash your hands often using soap and disinfected water.
• Make sure hands are washed:

• when preparing or eating food.
• after using the toilet.
• during and after handling contaminated items in flood cleanup activities.

• Wear gloves and boots. Do not touch anything with bare hands. Be careful not to step on glass.

Toilet

Until sewage disposal systems are back to normal, use any large container lined with a plastic bag and covered with a tight-fitting lid, as a temporary toilet.

Add: 1/4 cup of unscented chlorine bleach or disinfectant after each use to kills germs and stop odor.

Animals

Do not trap or corner wild animals. Sick or injured animals may be dangerous.

Food

• Throw out fresh or frozen food that has come into contact with flood water.
• Throw out food that has not been properly refrigerated-
• "If in doubt...throw it out!"
• Undamaged canned goods are o.k. but before opening disinfect cans in a dilute bleach solution.
   

Building Clean Up

Wear waterproof boots and gloves. Open all doors and windows. Use fans is possible to air out the building.

First: clean walls, hard surfaced floors and household surfaces with soap and water. Make sure dirt and mud are gone.

Then, wipe everything down with solution of one cup household bleach to disinfect.  Wash all clothes and linens in hot water. Throw away mattresses and stuffed furniture. It cannot be adequately cleaned, even with steam.
 

How to Disinfect a Well
Use bleach to disinfect. Follow the instructions below for dug or drilled wells to determine how much bleach to use. If you know how much water is in your well, add bleach for that amount of water. If you don't know, add bleach amount for the depth of your well.

DUG WELLS: Make a solution of bleach water using the amounts of bleach and water shown below. Pour bleach in 10 gallons of water. Mix thoroughly. Splash on casing inside well. Seal top. Open faucet. Let run until you can smell bleach at the faucet. Close faucets. Let set overnight. Next day, open faucets. Let water run slowly until bleach smell is gone. Add bleach as follows:

Example: If a well has a diameter of 6 feet, is 15 feet deep, and has 5 feet of water in it, add 30 cups of bleach. (6 cups x 5 feet of water).

DRILLED WELLS: Make a solution of bleach water using the amounts of bleach and water shown below. Remove the well seal. Pour the bleach solution into the well. Connect hose and spray inside of well casing for 15 minutes. Turn on water taps in house. Let it run until you can smell bleach at faucets. Turn water off. Let stand overnight. Next day, open faucets. Let water run slowly until bleach smell is gone.

To make bleach solution: Find out how many gallons of water are in your well. For every 100 gallons of water in your well, add a mixture of: 3 cups bleach in 10 gallons of water.

 

Test Water For Safety
After you disinfect your well, have a sample of your tap water tested at your local health department. Before you drink the water, make sure 2 samples are rated satisfactory, to ensure it is safe and free of contamination.
 

Cars
Never try to drive through floodwater. Water can be deeper than it appears, and water levels can rise very quickly. If a car stalls in floodwater, get out quickly and move to higher ground.
 

Carbon Monoxide
If you lose power during or after a flood, NEVER USE a gas oven, range, barbecue, hibachi or portable propane heater to heat your home. These units use up the oxygen you need to breathe and give off deadly carbon monoxide which have caused people to die from suffocation.

(The preceding was obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency - www.fema.gov)