Floods are our nation's most common natural disaster resulting in more deaths than any other types of severe weather. It is important to know and understand the terminology associated with flooding:
Flood watch - flooding is possible
Flood warning - flooding is occurring or will occur soon. If advised by officials to evacuate do so immediately.
Flash flood warning - unexpected flooding is imminent. Seek higher ground immediately. 

Flash floods are the #1 weather-related killer in the United States. 
Two key elements contribute to flash floods:
(1) rainfall intensity or the rate of rainfall 
(2) duration or the length of time that it has been raining. 

Most flash flooding occurs when thunderstorms stay in a region for a period of time or when there are heavy rains resulting from hurricanes or tropical storms.

General Information

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio broadcasts National Weather Service watches and warnings. These radios are available at many retail stores. Current flood status information can also be accessed through the NOAA flood watch website.

The American Red Cross provides basic information on flood preparedness for individuals and families.

Two other sources for flood preparedness, safety and recovery information are the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The Louisiana State University (LSU Ag Center) provides information on six approaches to preventing flood damage in your home.

Flood Safety and Recovery Resources

Many people may try to drive on flooded roads because they don't realize that it only takes two feet of water to float most vehicles and cause drivers to lose control.  Also, water can erode the road bed resulting in unsafe driving conditions. In fact, about one-half of flash-flood fatalities occur in vehicles.  There is an important national campaign called "Turn Around Don't Drown" to alert vehicle operators to become more aware of the dangers of driving through flooded roads. 

"An Emergency Food Worker's Guide to Food Safety" is an excellent resource to assist communities to plan and equip foodservice facilities so that workers can properly prepare and serve safe food in an emergency situation. This guide was developed by the Dept. of Food Science at Cornell University.

Preparing meals safely including what can be used after the home garden has been flooded has been addressed in a fact sheet created by Mississippi State Extension.

Long term power outages may occur as a result of flooding and many people now own portable generators for alternate power. Knowing how to use portable generators safely can be a life saving situation. Preventing carbon monoxide poisoning is a critical issue related to safely using emergency generators.

During flood recovery stages, dealing with mold damage is a major issue. Cornell University housing specialists have developed an overview about mold and its potential effects on houses and contents within.  Besides damaging residences, the presence of mold should be regarded as a potential health issue as well.  Got Mold? is a fact sheet which explains why mold occurs, provides measures for cleaning mold contamination in small areas and makes recommendations for testing if extensive damage occurs.  The national EDEN website also has a comprehensive site addressing mold issues. Visit http://www.EDEN.lsu.edu/ and click on "mold" in the upper left corner under Issues.

A new resource (2007) developed by Dr. Joseph Laquatra at Cornell and Dr. Claudette Reichel at LSU addresses issues involved in hiring a mold remediation contractor and mold removal in homes.

Resources on water quality issues specifically addressing  private wells and septic systems provide flood recovery information. A fact sheet on how people can deal with a boil water order was developed at Cornell University by the College of Human Ecology.

Resources on protecting the health and safety of workers and volunteers involved in flood recovery efforts have been published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood/

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides a fact sheet that addresses the safety of workers involved in flood recovery efforts.

A NIOSH publication citing hazards to the health of workers involved in flood clean-up in agricultural settings is also available.

Agriculture-related Recovery Resources

Dealing with Flooded Vegetable Fields  (Cornell University)

Flooded Farm Vehicles and Equipment  (University of Florida)

Hot Hay Alert  (Cornell University)

Maintaining Livestock Health  (North Dakota State University)

Pesticide Storage Concerns  (University of Florida)

Salvaging Crops After Flooding  (North Dakota State University)

Tips for Handling Flooded Soils  (North Dakota State University)

Information on damage to commercial nurseries resulting from flooding is provided by the University of Florida's Disaster Handbook (National Edition).