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How to Make a Family Emergency Plan for Flooding

Plan how your family will receive flood alerts, reunite, evacuate, and care for household members and pets before flooding threatens.
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A family flood plan should settle six questions before a watch or warning: how you will receive alerts, where you will reunite, how everyone will evacuate, where you will go, what you will take, and how household members with added needs and pets will be cared for. Start with local emergency instructions, write down the answers, and practice them together.

1. Learn the flood risks and local instructions for your address

Flood hazards, warning signals, evacuation routes, and shelters differ by location. Ask your local emergency management or planning office what applies to your home, school, and regular destinations. Identify safe higher ground and destinations before an emergency, and find out whether flooding in your area can develop quickly. A generic map cannot replace local instructions.

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Use current local alerts and orders during an event. The National Weather Service’s flood safety and family planning guidance explains how watches and warnings differ; your local authorities provide the directions specific to your community.

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2. Decide how you will communicate and reunite

Family members may be at work, school, or on the road when flooding begins. Choose two meeting places: one near home for an immediate emergency and another outside the neighborhood if you cannot return. Also choose an out-of-state friend or relative as a check-in contact; local communications may be disrupted, and family members may be separated.

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  • Give every household member the contact’s name, address, and phone number.
  • Keep the information accessible, including in children’s bags where appropriate.
  • Agree how each person will check in and where to go if separated.
  • Practice contacting the out-of-state person and going to each meeting place.

Write down the plan rather than relying on everyone to remember it. The National Weather Service’s Before a Flood guidance recommends family communication planning.

3. Choose evacuation routes, transport, and a destination

Plan and practice an evacuation route with the whole household. Identify a destination—such as a suitable shelter or a place outside the affected area—and check how pets will be accommodated. Ask a friend or relative about transportation in advance if anyone in the household may not have access to a vehicle. Choose a backup route with local guidance in mind, and follow designated routes and instructions during evacuation.

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Never walk or drive through floodwater. Water can sweep people and vehicles away, and a flooded road may conceal hazards. If officials order an evacuation, leave; the CDC’s guidance is direct: “Never ignore an evacuation order.” See its Preparing for Floods page for more safety information.

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4. Prepare a household-specific go-kit

Keep supplies together where the family can collect them quickly, and make the evacuation kit easy to carry. The CDC recommends at least one gallon of water per day for each person and each pet, for at least three days. The National Weather Service also recommends at least three days of food, water, and medicine. These are official preparedness recommendations, not estimates of what every household will use.

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  • Water, food, and needed medicines, including prescriptions.
  • First-aid kit, flashlight and batteries, and a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio or portable radio in working order.
  • Phone chargers, identification, cash, sturdy footwear, and blankets.
  • Essential insurance, identification, and medical records stored in waterproof material.
  • Items specific to your household, such as infant supplies, mobility devices, communication aids, or other care needs.
  • Pet food, water, medicines, carriers, and records as needed.

A smaller car kit may help if practical, but do not depend on reaching it if conditions make travel unsafe. Check supplies periodically and replace anything expired or used. Tailor food, medicines, equipment, and care plans to the people and animals in your household.

5. Include people who need additional support

Make the plan around what each person actually needs to evacuate and stay safe. Consider older adults, children, people with disabilities or medical needs, and anyone who relies on medicines, mobility equipment, power, or communication aids. Ask local authorities about shelter availability and accommodations before an emergency. Make sure the person who may help is identified, and include the necessary equipment and supplies in the plan.

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6. Prepare the home and know utility actions

Identify household hazards and learn in advance how and when utilities can be shut off safely. Depending on a home’s construction and flood risk, possible preparations may include protecting electrical components, installing a sump pump with backup power, or adding a backflow valve. Ask an appropriate professional what is suitable for your home rather than assuming every measure applies.

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Follow official instructions during a flood. Do not approach downed power lines or enter standing water in a home where electricity may present a hazard.

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7. Know what to do when a watch or warning is issued

Alert What it means What to do
Flood or flash-flood watch Flooding is possible in the designated area. Stay alert, monitor official local updates, gather supplies, prepare transportation, and be ready to evacuate.
Flood or flash-flood warning Flooding has been reported or is imminent. Take precautions at once and move to safety. Follow local alerts and orders; evacuate when instructed.

Monitor official local radio or television updates and other local alerts. If told to evacuate, take essential items and use designated routes. Do not try to cross flooded roads on foot or in a vehicle.

8. Practice, review, and update the plan

Walk through the plan with everyone, including children. Practice the route, check-in steps, meeting places, and what to do if someone becomes separated. Review it when household members, schools, jobs, medicines, pets, or routes change. Keep key contacts and essential documents protected from water.

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