Before a Flood Strikes - Prepare Emergency Supplies

As soon as you determine your home is in a flood-prone area, start planning. Preparation and organization can help you through the emergency at home or in an evacuation shelter with much more peace of mind than if you try to collect essential supplies at the last minute. It may be too late to make a dash to the grocery or hardware store or gas station for something you need. Sit down with the family while you have plenty of time to prepare a list of emergency supplies and make plans for coping with the flood. Divide Your Planning Use the following questions as a guide when planning for emergencies. 1. What do we need to do before the water rises? Think about a way out of high ground if the water came up suddenly and you couldn't use your car. Consider putting emergency supplies and a first aid kit near the most likely exit door. Decide if you want to wrap your home and gather the necessary materials if you decide to do that. 2. What will we need if we stay in our home? Assume that there will be no electricity, telephone, fresh water, sewer facilities or natural gas for appliances or heating systems - perhaps for several days. Think about what you would need. How much: food, gasoline, medical supplies, water for drinking and bathing/cleaning/hygiene, protective clothing and communication. 3. What immunizations do family members need? Call your local health department for a list of potential health risks and schedule an appointment to get any vaccinations needed. Make sure all booster shots are current, too. 4. What supplies will we need at an evacuation center or a friend or relative's home? Consider what you would need for your family and pets' comfort and safety if you must move to a friend's home or an evacuation center for several days. Pets may not be allowed in evacuation centers. Your emergency kit, whether it is designed to help you through the flood at home or away from home should include: Camping supplies and equipment, including battery-operated flashlights, lamps, lanterns and appropriate fuel, candles and a portable radio for receiving weather bulletins and emergency information (fresh batteries are a necessity; extra batteries and bulbs are desirable), and matches in a waterproof container. Drinking water and ready-to-eat, non-perishable food (can or jar sizes appropriate for one meal with no leftovers would be best) and canned fruit juices (juice boxes may disintegrate in water.) Insect repellent, soap and toilet articles and towels. Clothing for the entire family. (Warm, dry clothes can really lift up your spirits when you've been up all night bailing water.) Medical supplies and required prescriptions such as for glasses and medication. Remember to include disposable diapers and baby food if you have children that age. Since you may want to use your charcoal or gas grill or camp stove outside for heating water for coffee or instant soup, matches (in a waterproof container), charcoal and lighter fluid should be stored for easy access. Never use a charcoal grill or cooking stove indoors. Keep batteries, food and water fresh by rotating your emergency supplies. Use some of them every so often and replace them in your emergency kit with fresh. Just remember to keep an adequate supply on hand. 5. What supplies will we need when we return home to begin cleanup and restoration? Your checkbook, credit card, important papers, insurance company addresses and telephone numbers and property inventory for insurance claims will be invaluable and save you a lot of stress. Store gasoline for pump, generator or boat engines safely outside the house. You may need household chlorine bleach to disinfect during or after the flood. A garden sprayer, hoses, brooms and protective gloves will be useful. A wet-vacuum and fans will be helpful after the flood for cleanup when the electricity is restored. Everyone else will be looking for them, too and rental agencies and hardware stores may run out of stock. Duct tape, a roll of polyethylene and lots of plastic garbage bags can protect furniture, appliances and clothing from water damage. Heavy duty plastic bags or pallet covers are available in quantities commercially. Large plastic bags can protect a clothes washer or dryer. Smaller trash bags may be used for garbage generated during the flood - it will probably be several days before you can get to a dump or sanitation crews can get to your house. Chemical camp toilets, buckets with tight fitting lids and/or smaller plastic bags can be used for human and pet waste. Review your emergency supply inventory regularly. Be certain that your stock reflects your prepared list. Replace items which are stale or have been used. This advance preparation can be worth a lot of comfort during your battle with the flood. Source: http://www.caes.uga.edu/topics/disasters/flood/articles/beforeafter/emergsupp.html Debbie Wilburn is County Agent/Family and Consumer Science Agent with Hall County Cooperative Extension (770)535-8290.