How to protect yourself and your family during a flood
The best plan is to be one step ahead of the next storm by knowing the city’s hurricane evacuation routes. Visit the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management's website to familiarize yourself with evacuation information, disaster supplies and preparedness guides, and other helpful weather information.
Once a flood occurs, there may still be time to protect you and your loved ones. The following are some helpful hints to remember:
- Take your family and yourself to a safe location, preferably higher ground. Don’t forget your pets – they depend on you too.
- Do not use electrical appliances that may have become wet. Stay away from power lines and electrical wires.
- Do not walk through flowing or stagnant flood water. Children are often tempted to play in flood water; however, it only takes six inches of quickly moving water to knock someone over. Flood water is also a prime carrier for germs and sickness that threaten public health and safety.
- Do not attempt to drive through a flooded area. The majority of vehicle-related deaths are caused by drivers trying to cross flooded streets. Ten inches of water on the roadway where water is flowing rapidly will carry away most cars and small trucks.
For more information, please visit www.floodsafety.com or www.redcross.org.
View the community outreach letter on Flood Hazard Awareness sent to Houston citizens in their utility bills this summer.