If you have time prior to an evacuation, turn off utilities at the main switches and disconnect electrical appliances.

If you find yourself under a flood warning, make sure to pay attention to radio or television warnings.Put together an emergency kit and make plans with your family - something that is ideal for any emergency situation, not just flooding.Keep your furnace, water heater, and electric panel elevated, especially if you live in an area where flooding is likely.Structures should not be built in a flood plain.There are a number of things you can do to prepare for a flood and minimize damage. The best plan is to avoid flood water when at all possible and to make for higher ground. Six inches of moving water can cause you to lose your balance and fall. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, attempting to drive through flood water is the leading cause of flood-related injury and death. (Image credit: Car in flood waters (opens in new tab) via Shutterstock) In case of emergencyįast- and slow-moving water can create significant problems for people who underestimate their power. A weakly constructed dam could receive a more substantive battering than it was designed for and give way, creating a flash flood in the regions downstream. Engineering issuesįlooding may be caused by manmade issues, as well. In a hurricane, 9 out of 10 deaths are caused not by wind but by fast-moving storm surge. At the same time, waves breaking along the shoreline assault beaches and structures, with destructive potential. When the dome reaches the shoreline, it can cause significant damage. As long as the eye is over deep water, problems are minimized, but as the storm moves toward land it carries a dome of water that can exceed 25 feet (7.6 meters) in diameter. When low pressures occur in a storm over the ocean, they suck the water toward the center. This kind of flooding is usually connected to hurricanes, tsunamis or tropical storms. This type of flooding occurs along the edges of oceans, and is driven predominantly by storm surges and wave damage. The water carries huge chunks of ice, which can increase damage to surrounding structures. Eventually, the wall of ice breaks, and fast-moving water rushes downstream much like a conventional flash flood, destroying objects in its path. Behind the dam, water begins to pile up, spilling over to the plains nearby. Heavy precipitation can cause chunks of ice to push together and create a dam in what is known as ice jam flooding. In cold temperatures, bodies of water are often frozen. Meltwater flooding the Watson River in Greenland.

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