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Floods & flash floods

Flash floods can rise in minutes, and most flood deaths happen in cars. Know the alerts, get to high ground, and stay out of the water.

Know the alerts

  • Flood watch: conditions are right for flooding. It's possible, not certain. Get ready. NWS
  • Flood warning: flooding is happening or about to. Act now. NWS
  • Flash flood warning: a flash flood is underway or imminent. If you're in a flood-prone spot, move to higher ground immediately. NWS

Turn around, don't drown

  1. Never drive or walk into flood water. Don't go around barriers; the road under the water may be gone. NWS
  2. It takes very little. 6 inches of fast water can knock you down, 12 inches can float most cars, and 2 feet can carry away SUVs and trucks. NWS
  3. Cars are the biggest danger. More than half of flood drownings happen when someone drives into flood water. NWS

Protect your home and yourself

  1. Shut things off. If water is coming in, lines are down or you're leaving, turn off gas, power and water, and unplug appliances. CDC
  2. Never touch power while standing in water. If equipment got wet, shut power off at the main breaker. CDC
  3. Treat flood water as dirty. Anything it touched can make you sick. Follow local officials on whether tap water is safe. CDC

After the flood

  1. Go back only when it's safe. Stay out of damaged buildings until they're checked, and return in daylight. CDC
  2. Clean up with protection. Wear rubber boots and gloves. Throw out what can't be disinfected, like drywall and rugs. Disinfect with 1 cup of bleach per gallon of water. CDC
  3. Beat the mold. Dry everything within 24 to 48 hours. Wear gloves, a mask and goggles, and never mix bleach with ammonia. CDC
Water safety, offlineThe Storm Proof kit's library includes water treatment and post-disaster guides, so you can check what's safe to drink without a signal.

The basic kit

Ready.gov's basic kit includes water (one gallon per person per day for several days), several days of food, a battery or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, extra batteries, a whistle, a manual can opener, local maps, and a phone with chargers and a backup battery. Ready.gov NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts warnings around the clock from more than 1,000 transmitters, and Wireless Emergency Alerts push severe warnings to phones with no signup. NWS NWS

Sources checked November 8, 2026. This guide summarizes official advice and isn't a substitute for instructions from local emergency officials.