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How to Make a Family Flood Evacuation Plan and Emergency Kit

Plan where your family will go, how you’ll reconnect, and what to pack before flooding threatens. Use local evacuation instructions and keep everyone out of floodwater.
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Make your family’s flood plan before water is rising: decide where you will go, identify more than one way to get there, set up alerts and a way to reconnect if separated, and pack a portable kit for several days. When flooding threatens, follow local officials’ orders and route instructions. Never walk or drive through floodwater or around a barricade.

1. Learn your local flood risk and alerts

Start with the places your household lives, works, studies, and regularly travels. Check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center for flood-risk information, then sign up for alerts from your local emergency management office. Monitor local weather reports and news, and learn what the alerts used in your area mean.

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Federal guidance cannot tell you which local route, shelter, or destination is right for your household. Check current instructions from local officials; routes and shelter locations may depend on the event.

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2. Choose a destination and safe routes

Decide in advance where your family will go if officials order an evacuation. Choose a destination that can accommodate your household’s access, medical, transportation, and pet needs. Ask local emergency officials about suitable route options, and identify alternatives in case a road is closed. Practice the route when conditions are safe.

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  • Do not plan to cross floodwater, even if it looks shallow.
  • Avoid tunnels and underground roads during flooding.
  • Never drive around a barricade; follow official route directions.

Ready.gov’s flood guidance puts the rule plainly: “turn around, don’t drown!”

3. Make the plan work for everyone

Write down what each person should do if flooding begins while the family is in different places. Include children’s school or daycare arrangements, work locations, caregivers, neighbors who may need help, and who can provide transportation. Make sure the plan accounts for people with disabilities, medical conditions, mobility needs, and essential medications.

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Set ways to reconnect

Choose a nearby meeting place and an out-of-town contact who can help relay messages. Make sure each household member knows the contact’s name and number. Agree to text or use messaging when possible: phone calls may not work during a flood. Keep key contact information and plan details accessible, including on paper in case a phone battery dies.

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Include pets and service animals

Decide how each animal will travel and what supplies it needs, such as food, medication, a leash or carrier, and identification. Check local instructions for animal-friendly evacuation destinations rather than assuming a particular shelter accepts pets.

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4. Prepare a portable flood emergency kit

FEMA advises preparing food, water, and emergency supplies for several days, with contents adapted to household needs. Its general Ready Campaign kit guidance recommends the following baseline; it is a preparedness recommendation, not a measured finding.

Supply What to prepare
Water One gallon per person per day for three days; adjust for household needs and local advice.
Food At least a three-day supply of nonperishable food, plus a manual can opener and utensils.
Information and light Battery-powered or hand-crank radio, NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, extra batteries, flashlight, and batteries.
First aid and signaling First-aid kit and whistle.
Sanitation and tools Sanitation supplies, wrench or pliers, and local maps.
Documents Important family documents in a waterproof, portable container.

Also pack household-specific necessities: medications, phone chargers or a power bank, supplies for infants or older adults, disability-related equipment, and pet food and care items. FEMA’s flood guidance specifically recommends extra batteries and chargers for mobile devices. Keep the kit portable enough to take with you; prioritize essentials if you have limited carrying capacity.

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Keep records protected and reachable

Store identification and key records in a waterproof document pouch or other waterproof container. Consider keeping secure digital copies as well, but do not rely on phone access alone. Keep keys, cash, and contact information with the evacuation supplies.

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5. What to do when flooding threatens

  1. Follow evacuation orders promptly. FEMA’s flood hazard information sheet says: “Evacuate immediately when ordered to.” Take critical supplies and documents, and use the route instructions from local officials.
  2. Stay out of floodwater. Do not walk or drive through it, and do not go around road barriers. Avoid tunnels and underground roads.
  3. If trapped by rising water, move to higher ground or the highest level of a building. Do not climb into a closed attic.
  4. Communicate by text or message when possible. Calls may not be possible during a flood.
  5. Wait for an official all-clear before returning. After a flood, check with the local health department before assuming tap water is safe to drink.
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6. If evacuation is not possible

Evacuation is not always possible or the safest option in every circumstance. Follow local officials’ instructions, and identify safer locations in your home in advance. If rising water traps you, move to higher ground or the highest level of the building; do not enter a closed attic.

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