Flood preparation comes down to three things: protecting your property before water arrives, having supplies ready to sustain your household for at least 72 hours, and knowing exactly when and how to leave. Most flood damage and injuries happen because people waited too long to act or assumed the water wouldn’t reach them. Here’s how to get ahead of it.
Stock a 72-Hour Emergency Kit
Your kit should cover the basics for every person in your household for a minimum of three days. Water is the priority: one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation. For a family of four, that’s 12 gallons at minimum. Store it in sealed containers away from direct sunlight.
Beyond water, your kit needs:
- Non-perishable food for several days, plus a manual can opener
- Prescription medications with at least a week’s supply, along with over-the-counter basics like pain relievers, antacids, and anti-diarrhea medication
- A first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic, and any medical supplies specific to your household
- Flashlights and extra batteries (not candles, which are a fire risk in a damaged home)
- A battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio for alerts when the power goes out
- Charging options like a portable battery bank or car charger for your phone
Keep the kit somewhere accessible on the highest floor of your home, ideally in a bag you can grab on the way out. If you have pets, add food, water, medications, and copies of ownership papers for them too.
Protect Your Documents Before the Water Comes
Floodwater destroys paper in minutes. The documents you’d need to rebuild your life after a flood are extensive, and replacing them while displaced is a nightmare. Store physical copies in a waterproof, fireproof container, and keep digital backups in cloud storage or on an encrypted USB drive you carry with you.
Your priority list should include: birth and marriage certificates, passports, Social Security cards, insurance policies (especially homeowners, renters, auto, and flood), mortgage or lease agreements, vehicle titles and registration, tax returns, wills and powers of attorney, and a current list of medications and prescriptions for everyone in the household. Also store contact information for your doctors, your pharmacy, and your insurance agents. Take photos or video of every room in your home, including closets and storage areas, as proof of your belongings for insurance claims.
Buy Flood Insurance Now, Not Later
Standard homeowners and renters insurance does not cover flood damage. You need a separate flood policy, and through the National Flood Insurance Program, there is typically a 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect. That means if a storm is already in the forecast, it’s too late to get covered for that event.
Even if you don’t live in a designated high-risk flood zone, it’s worth considering. More than 20% of NFIP claims come from areas outside high-risk zones. If your mortgage lender requires flood insurance, the waiting period may be waived, but for everyone else, buying early is the only way to ensure you’re protected.
Floodproof Your Home
There are two broad approaches to keeping flood damage manageable: keeping water out (dry floodproofing) and letting water in strategically (wet floodproofing). Which one makes sense depends on your home’s construction, your flood risk, and how deep the water is likely to get.
Dry floodproofing means sealing your walls, installing barriers over doors and windows, and using waterproof coatings to prevent water from entering. This works best for shallow flooding and requires that your walls can handle the pressure of water pushing against them from the outside.
Wet floodproofing takes a different approach. It allows water to flow into enclosed areas like crawl spaces, basements, or garages so that the pressure inside and outside your foundation stays equal. Without this equalization, hydrostatic pressure can crack foundations or even lift your home off its footings. Wet floodproofing requires wall openings in at least two different walls per enclosed area, with a total opening size of at least one square inch per square foot of floor space. The openings must work automatically with no manual, electrical, or mechanical controls, because you may not be home when the water rises.
Any materials below your expected flood level should be flood-resistant: concrete, masonry, ceramic tile, pressure-treated lumber, epoxy paint, or metal. Move appliances, electrical panels, and stored valuables above the flood line. A sump pump with a battery backup is useful for removing water after the event, but it won’t protect you during a major flood.
Know Your Alert Systems
Your phone can save your life if you haven’t disabled its emergency alerts. Wireless Emergency Alerts are messages sent directly to mobile devices in a threatened area, triggered by the National Weather Service for life-threatening events like flash floods. They arrive with a distinctive tone and vibration, both repeated twice, and don’t require you to download any app or sign up for anything.
WEA messages for flash floods are only sent when the damage threat is rated considerable or catastrophic, so if you get one, treat it as urgent. Current technology can target these alerts to within a tenth of a mile, though older phones may receive them with less geographic precision.
Don’t rely on WEA alone. A NOAA Weather Radio provides continuous updates even when cell towers are overwhelmed or down. Many local emergency management agencies also offer opt-in text or email alert systems specific to your county. Sign up for those before flood season, not during.
Plan Your Evacuation Route
If authorities issue an evacuation order, leave immediately. Have at least two routes mapped out in advance, because your primary road may be flooded. Know the elevation of the roads you’ll take, and never drive into standing or moving water. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars, and two feet can sweep away SUVs and trucks. If you encounter flooded roadway, turn around.
Decide ahead of time where you’ll go: a friend or family member’s home on higher ground, a hotel outside the flood zone, or a public shelter. Make sure everyone in your household knows the plan, including a meeting point if you’re separated. Keep your vehicle’s gas tank at least half full during flood season so you’re not searching for an open station during an evacuation.
What Floodwater Actually Contains
Floodwater is not just rainwater. It picks up sewage, household chemicals, petroleum products, pesticides, and in industrial areas, hazardous chemicals. Even shallow floodwater that looks clean can contain bacteria and contaminants that cause serious illness. Swallowing it, getting it in open wounds, or even prolonged skin contact can be dangerous.
If you have to walk through floodwater or begin cleanup afterward, wear waterproof boots with steel toes (not sneakers, which absorb contaminants and won’t protect against punctures from hidden debris), heavy waterproof gloves, long sleeves, long pants, and eye protection. If you’re cleaning up mold-contaminated materials after the water recedes, a respirator is recommended. Wash your hands frequently and disinfect any skin that comes in contact with floodwater.
After the Water Recedes
Do not turn on the electricity in a flooded home. Water-damaged electrical wiring, outlets, and appliances can cause fires, shocks, or electrocution. Have a qualified electrician evaluate your entire electrical system before restoring power, and check with your local authorities about any permits or inspections required before reconnecting.
Photograph all damage thoroughly before moving or discarding anything. Your insurance adjuster will need this documentation. Begin drying out the home as quickly as possible, since mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours in warm, wet conditions. Remove waterlogged drywall, carpeting, and insulation. Materials like concrete, tile, and metal can often be cleaned and kept, but porous materials that absorbed floodwater generally need to be replaced.
Discard any food that came into contact with floodwater, including canned goods with damaged seals. If your well was flooded, have the water tested before drinking it. Boil tap water or use bottled water until local authorities confirm the municipal supply is safe.