Daily Preparedness Tip: If You Live in a Flood Prone Area Buy a Boat

You don't need a big fancy boat, but if you live in an area that is prone to flooding (or live below a dam that could fail), having a basic kayak/raft/flat-bottomed boat plus life jackets on hand is one of the best ways to be prepared for a flood that could trap you or even kill you if flood waters are treacherous enough.  As people in many parts of Nebraska could tell you today, if your only way out of a flooded area is a boat and you don't have one, then all of your other preps will be of little use if your house is floating away and you are up to your neck in floodwaters.

Flood Report

First it was massive snow and now it is massive rain causing--what else--massive flooding. Although we are high and dry, hundreds of thousands of others in our state aren't. Here's a bundle of random observations:

• Keep your road drains clear. When they get covered up with leaves and debris, even moderate rain can back up and cause minor flooding.


• This is another reason to have a BOB (bug out bag). Many people were caught unprepared in areas that flooded rapidly. They had to evacuate with very little notice and many on the news were leaving with just the clothes on their backs. Always evacuate with a well-stocked BOB.


• Think again about your evacuation plan. When people in our area think about evacuation, we think we have a number of options--north to Canada, east to Idaho, or south to Oregon. As of this afternoon ALL of these roads were closed due to flooding and mud slides so we are, in effect, an island with no way out other than boat or aircraft.


• Think also about keeping your food stocked up. Because all roads in and out are closed due to flooded roadways, it means that delivery trucks which are carrying the food that stocks our grocery store shelves can't get in. While this shouldn't last for more than a week or so, I am guessing there are plenty of families with children that are going to be needing milk, diapers, and other basic supplies who aren't prepared.


• The best sources of information about current road conditions: local online newspapers, TV news broadcasts, AM talk radio, department of emergency management websites, and county road department websites.


• Speaking of AM talk radio, one particular station was doing an excellent job today of letting the public get on the air and give first hand reports about the roads in their area. They also were allowing people who needed help with sandbagging and other tasks get on the air and ask the public directly for help which seemed to, pardon the pun, bring out a flood of volunteers.
• There are some areas that flood like this every year. Why people insist on rebuilding in these areas is beyond me.
• Note that floods are usually not covered by homeowners insurance. Without separate flood insurance you will be (another pun) up a creek without a paddle.
• Don't drive over flooded roads. You hear this every time there is a flood and every time there is a flood, somebody drives over a road that is flooded. While they may have driven over this road every day for years, as one guy saw today, the road that he knew so well was actually missing under all of the water. It had washed out and so instead of driving through a puddle of water, his car hit the drop off and floated away, with him inside. He was able to get to the roof of the car and call for help which required a swift water rescue team and no doubt a lecture by the local fire chief.
• If you have a septic tank and/or well, you will have problems if your area floods. If there is any question about flood water getting into your well, always boil your water until you get the all clear from the health department. This is also a good reason to have water stocked for an emergency.
• You need an evacuation plan for just these types of emergencies. Where would you go? What will you do with your pets and/or livestock? How will you get to your destination? Do you have alternate ways to get to your destination and/or alternate evacuation destinations?
• Keep your cell phone charged. When you evacuate, or in the case of the guy stranded in his floating car, you may need to call for emergency help. If the battery on your cell phone has died, you will have a problem.
• In situations like these is is always good to have skis (in the case of heavy snow) and a boat, even if it is a simple kayak or canoe, in the case of heavy flooding.

Anyway, that's my observations of the situation. Some preparedness ideas: never build in a flood plain. It is fine for pastureland if you also have much higher ground available for your animals, but the thought of having to sandbag each year or move your furniture to the second floor each winter is ludicrous. Always have a BOB, cash, and charged cell phone on hand. If you are high and dry, stay home where you are safe; wandering around to "see what's happening" can put you in a precarious situation.

Notes from a Rain Storm (and Subsequent Flood)

So far this year we have had a windstorm and snowstorm. Rounding out the trifecta was a rain storm this weekend that soaked our region (and melted all of the snow) causing pretty big flooding problem in some areas. Here are some lessons learned:

• Know the roads in your area and have maps in your car. Many of the usual routes were inundated with water so alternate routes were the only way to get around.
• Don't drive through flooded roads. In a few cases, doing this led to a couple of minutes of airtime on the local news and no problems as the driver meandered through rain-swollen roads, in many other cases it led to cars being abandoned, flooded engines, people being rescued from car rooftops, and in some rare cases, cars were driven into what was assumed to be a few inches of water that actually turned out to be washed out roads and sink holes--these unlucky cars won't be seen again until the rain stops and the flooding subsides.
• Do as much pre-event prep as possible: clean out gutters, make sure the sump pump works, move animals to higher pasture, make sure any drainage problems are taken care of ASAP, have sand and sandbags at the ready if flooding is common in your area.
• At the risk of sounding like a broken record--have a well stocked BOB in your home and car. Some people had to evacuate at a moments notice, while other were stuck in their cars on closed highways for literally hours (a couple of freeways will be closed for days until repair work and/or flood waters can be taken care of). You need to be able to take care of yourself (food, water, amusements, etc.) for the duration of such events.
• Stay home. If your home is safe and secure, that is absolutely the best place to be. First, it alleviates added cars in what is already a mess of traffic; second, it keeps you from becoming stranded; third, it is (or should be) well stocked with all you would need to hunker down for days to weeks. There's no point in risking life and limb to get a dozen eggs, get to the office, or run to the video store.
• Have alternate forms of transportation available. During the worst of the flooding, motorcycles, bicycles and even (especially) rafts and canoes were far easier to use for transportation than cars.
• Don't buy or build in an area that floods. Duh. Every year, the same neighborhoods, the same houses, even the same people are interviewed on the news about the flood that just washed out the lower level of their homes. Obviously when buying a home or land take into consideration the likelihood of floods and mudslides (or any other natural disaster) before buying.
• Avoid wading through flood water (it can be contaminated with sewage and other nasty stuff).
• Keep up on what's happening. Our local news, radio news, and county DEM website all provide up to the minute information on conditions as they change.
• If your home does flood: turn off all utilities, raise things (furniture, etc) to higher ground, evacuate if necessary, don't use your well until the flood waters recede and the well has been decontaminated.