The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Make a written plan before a warning arrives: learn your local flood and landslide risks, decide how household members will receive alerts and reconnect, choose evacuation destinations and routes, and prepare supplies for several days. Practice the plan and follow current instructions from local emergency officials, whose routes, shelters, and warnings are specific to your area.
Start with the hazards and alerts where you live
Flood and landslide risks vary from one neighborhood to another. Contact your local emergency management office for hazard information, alert enrollment, evacuation routes, and shelter locations. The CDC recommends asking county geology or planning officials whether your home is in an area prone to flash flooding or landslides. For flood information, FEMA directs residents to its Flood Map Service Center guidance; its landslide information sheet also advises learning community evacuation plans.
- Ask how local officials issue alerts and what terms such as “watch,” “warning,” or “evacuate” mean in your jurisdiction.
- Enroll in your community’s alert system. FEMA identifies the Emergency Alert System, NOAA Weather Radio, and local alert systems as sources of emergency information. Wireless Emergency Alerts are a nationwide channel for significant weather threats, according to the National Weather Service family preparedness guidance.
- Choose more than one way to receive warnings, especially if power, mobile service, or internet access could fail. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio can help when phones are unavailable.
The CDC’s flood safety guidance is at cdc.gov/floods/safety.
Write down who does what and how to reconnect
A useful plan tells each person what to do, where to go, and how to reach the others if you are separated at school, work, or elsewhere. The American Red Cross recommends discussing likely emergencies, assigning responsibilities, recording contact information, and practicing the plan.
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- List household members, important phone numbers, and an out-of-area contact who can help relay messages if local networks are disrupted.
- Choose a meeting place near home and a second place outside the immediate neighborhood. Make sure everyone knows the addresses and how to reach them.
- Assign practical roles, such as collecting the go-bag, helping a child or neighbor, securing essential documents if time permits, or transporting pets. Do not delay evacuation to complete nonessential tasks.
- Plan for children, older adults, people with disabilities, anyone with limited mobility, and anyone who relies on medication, medical equipment, or powered devices. Note what assistance or backup power they may need.
- Include pets in the plan: identify a place that can take them, transport arrangements, food, medication, and carriers or leashes.
Keep contact details both on phones and in a paper copy. The Red Cross recommends practicing plan elements so household members know their roles before an emergency.
Choose evacuation destinations and practice routes
Identify a safe destination, such as an official shelter or a friend or relative’s home outside the threatened area. Confirm that the destination is accessible to the people and pets who may need to go there. Ask local officials which roads and shelters are appropriate; conditions and evacuation orders can change.
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- Pick a primary route and an alternate. Check how each route works for your household, including mobility needs and likely road closures. Avoid relying on a route that could be cut off by flooding or a slide.
- Decide how you will travel. Account for whether household members need separate transport, a mobility aid, car seats, pet carriers, or extra time to leave.
- Practice leaving. Drive or walk the route when safe, identify how you would reach the alternate destination, and make sure everyone knows where to meet if separated.
- Keep the plan usable. Store directions and contact details on paper as well as on phones, and keep essential supplies where they can be collected quickly.
FEMA’s landslide guidance advises knowing community evacuation plans, practicing driving routes, and identifying shelters. When officials tell you to evacuate for flooding, leave promptly and do not drive around barricades.
Build a kit for evacuation and service interruptions
Prepare supplies for several days, with contents tailored to the people and pets in your household. The Red Cross landslide safety checklist recommends a three-day supply of water and food and specifies one gallon of water per person per day.
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- Water and food: drinking water and shelf-stable food that household members can eat. Include food for pets.
- Health and first aid: first-aid supplies, prescription and essential over-the-counter medication, and any supplies needed for medical devices.
- Light and information: flashlight, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and extra batteries.
- Power and communication: phones, charging cables, and a backup charging option; written emergency contacts in case devices lose power.
- Sanitation and clothing: sanitation supplies and clothing suited to the household and likely conditions.
- Documents and money: copies of important personal documents in a waterproof pouch and cash.
- Individual and pet needs: mobility or communication aids, children’s essentials, pet food, medication, leashes, and carriers as appropriate.
Keep a go-bag where it can be reached quickly, and make sure household members know what belongs to them and what they are responsible for carrying. FEMA’s flood and landslide sheets also call out medication, pets, charging devices, and documents as planning considerations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Flood-specific actions: leave early and stay out of floodwater
If officials order an evacuation, go promptly using a safe route. Never walk, swim, or drive through floodwater, and do not go around road barriers. FEMA’s 2025 flood hazard information sheet gives a reason for the rule: six inches of fast-moving water can knock a person down, while one foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. The official slogan is “Turn Around. Don’t Drown.”
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Do not assume a road is safe because the water looks shallow or because another vehicle has crossed. Follow authorities’ instructions about evacuation and when it is safe to return.
Landslide-specific actions: recognize warning signs and move to safety
Watch for changes in the ground, structures, and nearby vegetation. FEMA’s landslide guidance identifies signs that can include:
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- New cracks or bulges in the ground or pavement.
- Soil pulling away from foundations, or patios or foundations beginning to tilt.
- Broken water lines.
- Leaning poles, trees, walls, or fences.
If you see signs of an impending slide, FEMA advises evacuating in advance, particularly when a slide could occur at night. Follow local emergency instructions and move away from the threatened area rather than waiting for a more convenient time. Flooding can follow a landslide, so be alert to both hazards after a slide.
Keep the plan current
Review the written plan periodically and whenever your household, contact details, medical needs, pets, or local conditions change. Check alert subscriptions, routes, and destination details with local officials, and practice the plan so everyone can find their contacts and supplies quickly.
Quick Recap
- Local flood and landslide risks and official alert channels are identified.
- Household roles, contacts, meeting places, and pet arrangements are written down.
- Primary and alternate routes and destinations are known and practiced.
- A several-day kit is stocked for each household member’s needs.
- Everyone knows to follow evacuation orders and stay out of floodwater.
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