The best place to be in a time of emergency is in your own home.  However, in the case of a flood, you may have to abandon your homestead for safer, higher grounds.  Flooding is dangerous and unpredictable.  The rising waters can hide many dangers.  To be safe during evacuation, Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) warns against walking or driving through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you. Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle can be quickly swept away.

In fact your car can be a death trap if you are caught in it during a flood. A hidden danger awaits motorists where a road without  a bridge dips across a creek bed. Motorists develop false confidence when they normally or frequently pass through dry low water crossings.  However in a flood,road beds may have been scoured or even washed away during flooding creating unsafe driving conditions.  There are many dangers in driving through water in these low lying areas. Driving too fast through low water will cause a vehicle to hydroplane and lose contact with the road surface.  Visibility is limited at night increasing the vulnerability of the driver to any hidden dangers.

To avoid those dangers, remember these points to remember when driving in flood conditions:

• Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.
• A foot of water will float many vehicles.
• Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) and pick-ups.

After the flood is over, many dangers still remain.  To stay safe after a flood, follow these guidelines:

• Listen for news reports to learn whether the community’s water supply is safe to drink.
• Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.
• Avoid moving water.
• Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded. Roads may have weakened and could collapse under the weight of a car.
• Stay away from downed power lines, and report them to the power company.
• Return home only when authorities indicate it is safe.
• Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters.
• Use extreme caution when entering buildings; there may be hidden damage, particularly in foundations.
• Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits, and leaching systems as soon as possible. Damaged sewage systems are serious health hazards.
• Clean and disinfect everything that got wet. Mud left from floodwater can contain sewage and chemicals.