With rain and flood watches in effect this weekend, the timing is ideal for White County's advice on flood safety preparedness.
The county's Safety Department social media post reminds area residents that Flood Preparedness Week begins Monday, March 11 and runs through March 15.
Authorities say it's never too late to have your home and vehicles ready for what nature can bring to the area, and offer the following safety tips and guidelines to follow:
1. Sign up for Code Red Alerts: Stay Ahead of flood warnings by signing up for Code Red Alerts. Receive timely notifications directly to your phone about potential flood risks in your area by texting “WhiteCoAlerts” to 99441, or visit this link to register: https://bit.ly/wc-coderedsignup
2. Assemble an Emergency Kit: Prepare a waterproof container with essential supplies like non-perishable food, bottled water, first-aid kit, medications, important documents (copies), as well as flashlight, batteries and a battery-powered radio.
For Drivers:
3. Turn around, don’t drown: Never try to drive through flooded roadways. The water depth can be deceptive and even inches of water can stall your car or sweep it away.
4. Increase your following distance: Double or even triple the space between you and the car in front of your vehicle. This gives more time to react if other drivers break suddenly due to unexpected water hazards.
More information can be found at the White County Safety Department’s Facebook page, here:
