Keep Your Home and Family Safe From These Threats—Here’s How

Guest post by Melanie @ DisasterPrepared.info

Maintaining your home and family’s health and safety is always a priority. However, there’s little doubt that the need to take a more proactive stance on these has been magnified as of late. It feels like a multitude of threats from the world at large—both seen and unseen—have become more apparent. Fortunately, the ways to combat them have been made easier and more accessible, thanks to modern technology.

Now is the time to learn about these options. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to keep your home free of the things that could harm it and, by extension, what might threaten your family’s overall well-being. Fedhealth shows you how to protect the ones you love.

Free from Fire Hazards

While there is never a guarantee you won’t experience a fire at home, there are tried and true methods that help ward off potential fires as well as alert you quickly. These methods include keeping anything flammable away from an open heat source, cooking safely, keeping matches out of reach from children and installing smart smoke alarms. It’s also in your family’s best interest to develop an escape plan in the event of a fire.

Free from Contaminants

Less obvious threats to hearth and home are arguably those that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Case in point, consider the water your family is drinking. For the most part, water from the tap is safe to drink. But the fact is, you never really know for sure what harmful contaminants might be present, especially in a city or industrial area. With this in mind, an effective water filtration system is a must to make sure that your family only consumes clean and purified drinking water.

Free from Chemicals

Now, threats to your home and family’s health are also often in the form of germs and bacteria that carry all sorts of viruses. In fact, this is a threat that has been at the forefront of almost everyone’s consciousness recently. On the bright side, this has made people more vigilant about cleaning and sanitizing their homes to effectively combat the threat of disease-carrying germs. However, this has its downsides, too. For example, you could be inadvertently exposing your family to harmful chemicals, which are present in most cleaning products.

Fear not, though, because you can kill all sorts of germs and bacteria without having to use harmful chemicals. In fact, there are actually chemical-free alternatives to Lysol and similar products. Better still, these are items you almost always have in your home at the ready, such as vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and even vodka. It goes without saying, therefore, that you can easily make the healthy switch to these natural cleaning products and, in the process, create a cleaner and healthier home.

Free from Crime

Lastly, don’t forget that crime is still very much present in this day and age, so you must always remain vigilant if you want to keep your home and family safe. Your first step is making sure you have reliable and secure locks on your doors. If you need to hire a locksmith to install locks, view customer ratings and reviews to narrow down your choices. A trustworthy locksmith will be insured and licensed and offer warranties for their work.

While honoring common safety measures at home like simply locking your doors and windows and keeping your entryways well-lighted (to name a few), it can also be very smart to consider making use of technology to boost your home’s security. This is especially true if you operate a home business that could make you a target. Never open the door for unexpected visitors, and don’t assume that a uniform means the person is legitimate. Also, if you travel for work, invest in a good security system as robbers look for vulnerabilities like vacant houses as opportunities to target homes. These days, home security systems already come with a good number of interactive bells and whistles, so yes, there are plenty of things to consider—running the gamut from surveillance camera placement to motion detectors.

Free from Flooding

Although you can’t control the weather, you can be prepared for it. If you live in or near a flood zone, take precautions specific to this force of nature. First, invest in good flood insurance. These policies protect you from damage from floods and are often subsidized by the government. In fact, homeowners in areas that are particularly prone to flooding may be required to purchase this kind of insurance.

Another precaution you can take is to use waterproof or water-resistant concrete in and around your home. According to Best Concrete Mix, Corp, waterproof concrete can divert flood waters and provides long-lasting waterproof construction. You can even create a concrete floodwall to protect your home against this type of water damage. If you want to add concrete to your property, search online for “concrete work near me” and read through the reviews. Look specifically for mentions of waterproof concrete and flood prevention, since that’s the type of work you are most interested in. If they don’t mention it, ask specifically about these topics when you call to arrange an on-site quote.

Your home is only as safe as the steps you take—not just in securing the property itself, but also in maintaining your family’s health and overall wellness. Leaving it all up to chance is simply not an option in this day and age, so you must be proactive through actions, awareness, and even supplements such as flood insurance.

You may even want to work with Fedhealth to create customized books and ebooks with additional safety issues most relevant to your neighborhood and community. Ultimately, you will not regret the measures you take in the name of health and safety.

Tornadoes 101 (tornado basics, videos and safety resources)

Most of us have seen a tornado on the news and the Internet, but a vast majority of people have never personally witnessed the power and destruction of a twister.

The U.S. averages about 1,200 tornadoes a year and Canada is ranked #2 in volume of tornadoes (averaging about 80 per year) with several high risk areas mostly in central provinces. Nearly 3/4 of the world’s tornadoes occur in the U.S. annually with a majority of them touching down in “tornado alley” across the central U. S.

But keep in mind tornadoes can occur anywhere in the U.S. — with sightings in all 50 states — and across every continent except Antarctica.

Did you know…

• even though the National Weather Service (formerly called the Weather Bureau) has been tracking storms since 1870 … they were not allowed to use the word tornado in its forecasts for fear of panic until 1950..?!
• According to NOAA, 2004 had a record 1,817 tornado reports in the U.S.
• In 1974, during a 21-hour period, 148 tornadoes ripped through 13 states and 1 province between Alabama and Ontario, Canada killing 315 people.
• Tornadoes can last for several seconds or more than an hour, but most last less than 10 minutes.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer, but tornadoes can happen at any time of the year. Also, tornadoes can also happen at any time of day or night, but most tornadoes occur between 4–9 p.m.
• The 1925 Tri-State Tornado rode a straight-line path for 3.5 hours across 219 miles of Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana, making it the longest single tornado track anywhere in the world. With a mile-wide diameter it looked wider than it was tall and caused 695 deaths — a U.S. record for a single tornado — and injured thousands.
• A waterspout is a tornado over water but isn’t recorded until it hits land.
• The force of a tornado can strip asphalt chunks off roads, rip clothes off people and pluck feathers off chickens.

Tornado basics

According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory tornadoes are rare and unpredictable, but NSSL admits experts don’t fully understand how tornadoes form.

Basically a tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris. Tornadoes are the most violent of all atmospheric storms.

The most destructive and deadly tornadoes occur from supercells, which are rotating thunderstorms with a well-defined radar circulation called a mesocyclone. (Supercells can also produce damaging hail, severe non-tornadic winds, unusually frequent lightning, and flash floods.) Tornado formation is believed to be dictated mainly by things which happen on the storm scale, in and around the mesocyclone.

Learn more in below 2 educational videos and scroll down to find some free safety information about tornadoes and other severe weather topics from our IT’S A DISASTER! book and other resources.

Anatomy of a Tornado by TWC’s Jim Cantore from 2015…

This 2018 video by Cantore and TWC is longer but takes you inside a storm like you’ve never seen before with amazing graphics…

Safety Information

Download a free ebook portion of our IT’S A DISASTER book with tips about storms, kits and more.

Additional Resources:

National Severe Storms Laboratory Severe Weather 101

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (Tornado page)

National Geographic Tornado 101 (video)

How Tornadoes Work

Storm Prediction Center Tornado FAQ

Florence updates and state + federal preparedness resources on USFRA

For the past week we have been posting updates and resources about Florence in the U.S. First Responders Association’s Disaster Preparedness Group for those being impacted by the storm along the east coast and inland. (And our apologies for not sharing this here sooner!)

Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, NC at 0715 ET on 14-Sep-2018 and moving W about 6 mph (9 km/h). A west to WSW motion expected thru Sat bringing LOTS of rain, winds + a few possible tornadoes.

Download a free 59-pg portion of IT’S A DISASTER! book (in PDF) with tips on preparing for hurricanes, floods, evacuations, assembling disaster kits, making a family plan & more courtesy of USFRA and Fedhealth.

USFRA.org’s post has information and links about…

• Latest updates from National Hurricane Center and others;
• USFRA posts about hurricanes, floods, evacuations, winds, generator safety, and more;
• State web links, apps and resources for NC, SC, GA and VA (more will be added as storm moves inland);
• Pets and Large animals/livestock tips;
  
• FEMA, National Hurricane Center & Weather resources;
• Disaster Assistance and Recovery efforts will be added in coming days/weeks/months as things progress.

Families, business owners, responders and volunteers can find above and more about Florence here.

And consider joining USFRA.org to find & share knowledge and expertise on training, tactics, safety, education and community outreach as it pertains to first responders, EMs, active duty military, veterans, volunteers and others.

Stay safe out there, j & B

Iceland’s Jolabokaflod (Christmas Book Flood) needs to become tradition in North America

Did you know in Iceland the best Christmas gift is a book? Icelanders have a wonderful tradition of giving books to each other on Christmas Eve and the custom is so deeply ingrained in their culture that it is the reason for the Jólabókaflóð, [pronounced yo–la–bok–a–flot], also known as the “Christmas Book Flood”.

Jolabokaflod originated during World War II when foreign imports were restricted, but paper was cheap. According to Readitforward.com, Iceland’s population was not large enough to support a year-round publishing industry, so book publishers flooded the market with new titles in the final weeks of the year and citizens looked forward to perusing the book catalog similar to how kids look through toy catalogs.

Nowadays books are published and released throughout the year there, but many still continue the tradition of Jolabokaflod … and it is something we hope becomes popular in North America.

If you’d like to give the gift of preparedness this holiday season, our 266-page disaster preparedness and first aid paperback is discounted over 70% off list (or only $4.50 delivered in continental U.S.)

And we customize books for free (even in small quantity) so you can personalize them with logos and special messages to employees, colleagues, customers, members, volunteers and local communities.

We also offer our 280-page PDF ebook (70-80% off list) and have a free 60-page portion of IT’S A DISASTER! that people can download and share with others.

The quick-reference easy to use manual provides instructional bullets in 2-color format with tips on what people need to think about and do before, during and after specific types of emergencies and disasters (including active shooter scenarios), as well as how to administer basic first aid.

Plus a portion of book sales benefit the U.S. First Responders Association so purchases not only help educate your loved ones and the public, but also supports our nation’s heroes.

Please share these ideas and links with others and let’s start doing this cool book giving tradition here in America! Stay safe, j & B

How to help organizations providing relief and recovery from #Harvey

Hurricane Harvey will have a lasting impact on the Gulf coasts of Texas and Louisiana. And the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) members will be there providing relief and recovery for years to come, and they will need your assistance.

The single best way individuals and businesses can help disaster survivors is to donate money to a recognized voluntary organization.

Cash doesn’t need to be sorted, stored or distributed, and it allows the voluntary agency to use the donation towards the needs that most urgently need addressing. The funds can also help stimulate the local economy.

For over 44 years, National VOAD’s 100 member organizations have been helping communities worldwide.

Visit the National VOAD Hurricane Harvey Response page to learn how to help those affected by the storm and subsequent flooding.

Also find a complete list of National VOAD Members’ donation pages here.

And if you would like to volunteer for a National VOAD member organization, visit their Volunteer page.

As we say in our Dedication in our book… thank you to all volunteers around the world who give their heart, soul, energy, and time unselfishly for the betterment of our society. j & B 

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Flood safety tips and resources

Floods are the most common natural disaster. Some floods develop over a period of several days, but a flash flood can cause raging waters in just a few minutes.

Mudflows are another danger triggered by flooding that can bury villages without warning, especially in mountainous regions.

Everyone is at risk from floods and flash floods, even in areas that seem harmless in dry weather. Always listen to the radio or TV to hear the latest updates. Some other types of radios are the NOAA Weather Radio and Environment Canada Weatheradio with battery backup and tone-alert feature that alert you when a Watch or Warning has been issued.

BEFORE A FLOOD (OR HEAVY RAIN):

Prepare – Review some Flood Mitigation tips

Learn the buzzwords – Learn the terms / words used with floods…

• Flood watch – flooding is possible
• Flash flood watch – flash flooding is possible so move to higher ground if in a low-lying area
• Flood warning – flooding is occurring or will occur soon so listen to radio or TV for updates or evacuation alerts
• Flash flood warning – flash flood is occurring so seek higher ground on foot immediately
• Urban and Small Stream Advisory – flooding of small streams, streets and low-lying areas is occurring

Learn risks – Ask local emergency management office if your property is a flood-prone or high-risk area and what you can do to reduce risks to your property and home. Find out what official flood warning signals are and what to do when you hear them. Ask if there are dams or levees nearby and if they could be hazards.  

Be ready to evacuate – Listen to local authorities and leave if you are told to evacuate.  

Make a plan – Develop a Family Emergency Plan and Disaster Supplies Kit. And download Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium’s “Flood Recovery Booklet” to learn how to dry materials like artwork, books, photographs, etc. at www.iowaconserveandpreserve.org

Learn to shut off – Know where and how to shut off electricity, gas and water at main switches and valves — and ask local utilities for instructions.

Get insurance…? – Talk to your agent and find out more about the National Flood Insurance Program or visit www.FloodSmart.gov

Did you know…

• you can buy federal flood insurance through most major insurance companies and licensed agents?!
• you do not have to own a home to have flood insurance as long as your community participates in the NFIP?!
• NFIP offers coverage even in flood-prone areas and offers basement and below ground level coverage?!

Put it on film/chip/drive – Either videotape or take pictures of home and personal belongings and store them in a safe place with important papers.

DURING A FLOOD (OR HEAVY RAIN):

Be aware – Listen to local news and watch for flash floods especially if near streams, drainage channels, and areas known to flood. Be prepared to fill and place sandbags in areas as instructed to help combat rising waters.

Get to higher ground – If in a low-lying area, move to higher ground.

Prepare to evacuate – Review some evacuation tips, and IF time also…

• Secure home and move important items to upper floors.
• Turn off utilities at main switches or valves if instructed by authorities and DO NOT touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water!
• Fill up your car with fuel.

Obey warnings – If road signs, barricades, or cones are placed in areas – DO NOT drive around them! Find another way or you may get fined.

Things to avoid:

• moving water – 6 inches (15 cm) of moving water can knock you off your feet and 2 ft (0.6 m) can float a car
• flooding car – if flood waters rise around your car, get out and move to higher ground if you can do it safely
• bad weather – leave early enough so you’re not trapped
• flooded areas – roadways and bridges may be washed-out
• downed power lines – extremely dangerous in floods!!

 

AFTER A FLOOD (OR HEAVY RAIN):

Things to avoid:

• flood waters – avoid since they may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or raw sewage or may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines – local authorities will say when it’s okay to return
• moving water – 6 inches (15 cm) can knock you off your feet and 2 ft (0.6 m) can float a car
• flooded areas – roadways and bridges may be washed-out
• downed power lines – extremely dangerous and report them to the power company

Obey warnings – If road signs, barricades, or cones are placed in areas – OBEY THEM! Most areas fine people who ignore posted warnings. DO NOT drive around barricades… find another way to get there!

Strange critters – Watch out for snakes and other wildlife in areas that were flooded. Don’t try to care for a wounded critter since it may try to attack you… call your local animal control office or animal shelter.

Flooded food – Throw away food that has come into contact with flood waters since eating it can make you sick.

Drinking water – Wait for officials to advise when water is safe to drink. If you have a well that gets contaminated, find another source or boil water.

Wash your hands – Wash hands often with clean water and soap since flood waters are dirty and full of germs!

Use bleach – The best thing to use for cleaning up flooded areas is household bleach since it helps kill germs.

Sandbags – If any sandbags come into contact with floodwaters, wear rubber gloves when removing them and follow officials’ instructions on where to discard them since they’re most likely contaminated.

Listen – Continue listening to radio or TV for updates on weather and tips on getting assistance for housing, clothing, food, etc.

Insurance – Call your insurance agent or representative to discuss claims.

Mold – Consider asking a restoration professional to inspect your house for mold and visit www.epa.gov/mold for flood cleanup tips.

Above extracted from our book called IT’S A DISASTER! …and what are YOU gonna do about it?

Additional resources:

Flood mitigation and safety resources

Information and tips about NOAA Weather Radios

Landslide and debris flow safety tips

Tips and resources about disaster declarations, response, assistance and recovery

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Get Ready to Participate in America’s PrepareAthon

America’s PrepareAthon! is a national community-based campaign for action to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through hazard-specific drills, group discussions, and exercises. 

Ready.gov explains the goal of America’s PrepareAthon! is to build a more resilient nation by increasing the number of individuals who understand…

• which disasters could happen in their community;

• know what to do to be safe and mitigate damage;

• take action to increase their preparedness;

• and participate in community resilience planning.

The spring and fall events are designed to encourage Americans to practice preparedness before an emergency or disaster strikes. For example, each year the Great ShakeOut earthquake drills encourage millions of people to physically practice what to do during an earthquake, and America’s PrepareAthon is modeled on the same principle. Participants must commit to take action and take at least one step (or more!) to prepare for a hazard they may face.

As mentioned above, the PrepareAthon! will occur twice a year — once in the spring and once in the fall — with the 2014 events planned on April 30 and September 30. Each event will concentrate on specific hazards and themes, but communities, organizations and families are encouraged to use the various resources throughout the year since disasters can happen anywhere and anytime.

According to Ready.gov the first National Day of Action is scheduled for April 30, 2014 and will focus on taking actions to prepare for four specific hazards:

— Tornadoes

—  Wildfires

—  Floods

—  Hurricanes

Agencies, organizations, businesses, schools and individuals can visit www.ready.gov/prepare and register to participate in America’s PrepareAthon! During the signup process organizers would like to know a few details about activities you are planning for the April call to action (similar to registering for ShakeOut events), plus you can join the National Preparedness Community to post events and network with others in the forum.

Also America’s PrepareAthon! organizers are providing customizable guides, social media tools and promotional materials for families and groups to use whether you just do the National Day of Action on 4/30 or hold drills or exercises year-round. The key is turning knowing into doing!

Additional Resources

In addition to the above and below links, consider learning more about FedHealth’s customizable disaster preparedness and first aid manual for your public outreach efforts too.

Our IT’S A DISASTER! book qualifies as community education on grants and provides about a $3 or $4-to-$1 return on match since we discount it up to 70% off list (or as low as $4.50 each) and customize it for free.

Plus we have collaborative funding ideas to help first responders, nonprofits and schools and educate local communities while saving people money! It’s a whole community approach to resilience and preparedness that can complement your Awareness campaigns. Learn more and download a free ebook

Some other informational tools include…

FLOOD resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mold cleanup tips

EPA’s 20-page guide, “Mold, Moisture and Your Home”

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (Floods)

NOAA’s Flood Safety

Ready.gov flood safety

HURRICANE Resources

Hurricanes 101 (hurricane basics and resources) / a 2013 post on our IAD blog

Florida’s Foundation “Make Mitigation Happen” (21-pg PDF for FL but could help most everyone)

National Hurricane Center

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (Hurricanes)

NOAA Tropical Cyclones Preparedness Guide (12 pg PDF)

Ready.gov Hurricane safety

TORNADO Resources

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (Tornadoes)

NOAA Tornado safety tips

More NOAA tips

Ready.gov Tornado safety

The Tornado Project Online!

WILDFIRE Resources

Wildfire Mitigation Tips

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (Wildfire)

National InciWeb

National Interagency Fire Center

Ready.gov Wildfire safety

US Fire Administration Wildfire safety

Or download a free portion of our It’s A Disaster! book … or visit your state or local Emergency Management, Health or Fire or Police or Sheriff department’s website to find local emergency information, safety tips and tools to help you and your loved ones get prepared.

And again… learn how to take action and get involved with America’s PrepareAthon at www.ready.gov/prepare and follow them on Twitter @PrepareAthon or Facebook.

Flood Awareness Week + flood mitigation and safety resources

National Flood Awareness week is a nationwide campaign each March designed to highlight some of the many ways floods can occur, the hazards associated with floods, and what you can do to save life and property.

But keep in mind floods can happen anytime and anyplace. Some floods develop over a period of several days, but a flash flood can cause raging waters in just a few minutes.

Mudflows are another danger triggered by flooding. Mudflows are rivers of rock, earth, and other debris soaked with water mostly caused by melting snow or heavy rains that creates a slurry. A slurry can travel several miles from its source and grows in size as it picks up trees, cars, and other things along the way.

Did you know…

• floods are the most common natural disaster … and flood damage is the second most common disaster-related expense of insured losses reported worldwide?

• …all Americans live in a flood zone – it’s just a question of whether you live in a low, moderate or high risk area?

• nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are vehicle-related?

Turn Around…Don’t Drown

Speaking of vehicles, a major NOAA National Weather Service campaign all states have been promoting for years is “Turn Around…Don’t Drown” or TADD.

In fact, several states are cracking down on people who drive around barricades into flooded areas who then become stranded.

For example, since 1995 Arizona has had a “Stupid Motorist Law” meaning any motorist who becomes stranded after driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway can be charged for the cost of his/her rescue. And if public emergency services are called to rescue the motorist and tow the vehicle out of danger, the cost of those services can be billed to the motorist, up to a maximum of $2,000.

Both Pennsylvania and Tennessee have similar laws where motorists who drive around a barricade or flood warning sign and get stranded will face fines and possible restitution for the cost associated with any rescue efforts.

It’s a shame we even need statutes and laws such as these and would be nice if people would obey signs and barricades and not put themselves, their passengers and first responders in danger due to their actions. But people think their vehicle will keep them safe or they underestimate the power of water.

Before you try to drive through a flooded area, remember it only takes 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) of water to lift your car or SUV. Once your vehicle becomes buoyant; the water will easily push it sideways. Most vehicles will then tend to roll over, trapping those inside and washing them downstream. And flooded roads may have hidden dangers, such as washed out roadbeds or underwater obstructions.

Some flood mitigation and safety tips

Find your flood map – To identify a community’s flood risk, FEMA conducts a Flood Insurance Study. The study includes statistical data for river flow, storm tides, hydrologic/hydraulic analyses, and rainfall and topographic surveys. FEMA uses this data to create the flood hazard maps that outline your community’s different flood risk areas. Visit www.floodsmart.gov to find your local flood map.

Get flood insurance – Regular insurance companies will cover some claims due to water damage like a broken water main or a washing machine that goes berserk. However, standard home insurance policies DO NOT generally cover flood (or mud) damage caused by natural events or disasters!

The U.S. offers a National Flood Insurance Program available in most communities and there is a waiting period for coverage. Both homeowners and renters can get flood insurance as long as your community participates in the NFIP.

Did you know…

• you do not have to “own” a home to have flood insurance as long as your community participates in the NFIP?

• NFIP offers coverage even in flood-prone areas and offers basement and below ground level coverage?!

• if you live in a moderate-to-low risk area and are eligible for NFIP’s Preferred Risk Policy, your flood insurance premium may be as low as $129 a year, including coverage for your property’s contents?!

Talk to your insurance agent or call the National Flood Insurance Program at 1-888-379-9531 or visit www.floodsmart.gov

Currently Canadians do not have a national flood program, however certain parts of Canada offer limited flood-damage coverage but it must be purchased year-round and rates are relatively high. Visit www.ibc.ca

Get weather radios – NOAA Weather Radio or Environment Canada Weatheradio with battery backup and tone-alert feature can alert you when Watches or Warnings have been issued.

Move valuables to higher ground – If your home or business is prone to flooding, you should move valuables and appliances out of the basement or ground level floors.

Elevate breakers, fuse box and meters – Consider phoning a professional to elevate the main breaker or fuse box and utility meters above the anticipated flood level so flood waters won’t damage your utilities. Also consider putting heating, ventilation and air conditioning units in the upper story or attic to protect from flooding.

Protect your property – Build barriers and landscape around homes or buildings to stop or reduce floodwaters and mud from entering. Also consider sealing basement walls with waterproofing compounds and installing “check valves” in sewer traps to prevent flood water from backing up into drains.

Learn risks – Ask your local emergency management office if your property is a flood-prone or high-risk area and what you can do to reduce risks to your property and home. Find out what official flood warning signals are and what to do when you hear them. Ask if there are dams or levees nearby and if they could be hazards.

Make a plan – Develop a Family Emergency Plan (e.g. map out evacuation routes, decide where you and your family will meet if separated, teach family members how to shut off main utility switches, discuss what to do with pets and critters, etc). And assemble Disaster Supplies Kits in case you have to bail.

Stay safe – Floodwaters may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or raw sewage or may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.

Other disasters – Be aware flooding can also cause landslides and mudflows. Listen for trees cracking, rocks banging together or water flowing rapidly (esp. if near a stream or river) – debris flow may be close by.

In addition to the below resources, consider learning more about Fedhealth’s customizable disaster preparedness and first aid manual for your public outreach efforts.

Our IT’S A DISASTER! book qualifies as community education on grants and provides about a $3 or $4-to-$1 return on match since we discount it up to 70% off list (or as low as $4.50 U.S. each) and customize it for free.

Plus we have collaborative Public-Private Partnership ideas to help fund volunteers and schools and educate local communities while saving people money! It’s a whole community approach to resilience and preparedness that can complement your Awareness campaigns. Learn more and download a free ebook

Additional resources 

The Cost of Flooding (interactive tool shows what a flood to your home could cost inch by inch)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mold cleanup tips

EPA 20-page guide called “Mold, Moisture and Your Home”

EPA Safewater site (emergency disinfecting data, tips for well & septic owners, etc)

National Flood Insurance Program + Flood maps

National Landslide Information Center

NOAA’s National Weather Service Flood Safety page

Ready.gov Flood safety