Many states in the U.S. have experienced a huge amount of rain following Hurricane Ida making landfall at the end of August. With this large amount of rain, flash flooding has been a huge concern for those in the warpath of Ida’s aftermath.
Regardless of whether you’ve experienced flash flooding due to this storm or not, there’s always a chance that you could get a big storm headed your way that could result in flash flooding. And because flash floods can bring with them very dangerous conditions, you’ll want to know exactly what to do to keep yourself and others safe.
To help you see how this can be possible, here are three tips for staying safe in flash flood conditions.
Prepare Your Belongings
If you hear on the news that a flash flood could be taking place in your area, the first thing you’ll want to do is best prepare yourself and your belongings for the possibility of a huge amount of rainfall.
As part of this preparation, you’ll first want to check out the outside of your home for hazards. Any outdoor toys or accessories should either be brought inside or secured down so that they don’t get swept away by large amounts of water. As you move into the inside of your home, you should try to get things off of the ground in case water gets into your house. Especially with electronics, you’ll want to be sure that everything is elevated off of the floor so as to protect them and yourself.
Stay Out Of Flood Waters
While there might be a part of you that wonders just how dangerous or safe the flood waters in your area might be, to keep yourself safe, you’re going to want to stay out of flood waters in any way that you possibly can.
Ideally, you should try not to walk through flood waters, as you have no idea what might be in that water or what dangers could be lurking out of sight. And while you might feel safer being in your car while on watery roads, it’s very dangerous to take your car through flood waters, too. It’s very easy for your car to get stuck or swept away in flood waters, which can put you at great risk of drowning.
Learn How To Best Clean Up After A Flood
Once you’ve been able to stay out of the flood waters and no more rain is coming your way, you then need to figure out how to best clean up the mess that’s left over.
If there was anything that came in contact with the flood waters, you’ll want to get rid of those items. Also, you’ll need to ensure that your water is safe to drink now or if you’ll have to take measures regarding this. And if there was a lot of damage to your home, you’ll need to be particularly careful about power and gas lines coming into and out of your home.
To help you be ready in the event that a flash flood happens near your home, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you stay safe.
