Flooding: How to Prepare, What to Expect, What to Do

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With Hurricane Milton, approaching Florida here are flood specific tips to help you out. Partial list at the bottom…

A survivor of Hurricane Ian's flooding shares valuable advice based on their experience. They emphasize proactive measures to prepare for potential flooding, such as raising valuables off the floor, securing important documents, and preparing essential items like flashlights, medication, and pet supplies. The source also provides post-flood guidance, focusing on prioritizing safety, organizing debris, and meticulously documenting repair expenses. It stresses financial responsibility by recommending against insurance fraud and encourages seeking assistance from various resources like FEMA, the Red Cross, and county programs. The author highlights the importance of remaining calm, acknowledging that while the situation may feel overwhelming, it is possible to rebuild and overcome the adversity.

Facebook Post from Brandy Barber:

As a Florida Shores Hurricane Ian Flood Victim— here are some things I’d wished I’d thought of/things we did. (Since you cant control it, youll want to have your head in the game. This isn’t to cause fear, it’s to equip people because we’ve been through it and wish we would’ve known. Hindsight is always 20/20).

If you think your home could flood with recent happenings/track record, then maybe pay attention. We got through it and if you do flood, I promise you will too. These things may seem extreme but trust me, at the first site of our yard flooding, and this is what we are doing:

🌀 BEFORE YOU FLOOD/PREVENTIVE MEASURES: 🌀

•have your volume on/download apps. A flash flood warning woke me up and saved me from losing way more than I could’ve.

•Documents, books, things in low drawers, pictures or basically anything on lower ground, move to countertops. Know exactly where your important info is in case you need it. That includes for your car, we lost 3 of those too.

•We lost all electric appliances because they were in our low kitchen cabinets. Move them up higher (food processor, crockpot, griddles).

•dry food- get out of lower cabinets. You’re going to be hungry while you wait for rescue. We had hot cheese and grapes to eat. Don’t be us.

•We kept our bandaids/sanitary stuff/meds/blow dryers in a low bathroom cabinet and lost it all. Anything you think you might need that isn’t in a bottle, move it up the night before.

•Turn your breaker off as soon as you start flooding even if your power is already out because you won’t be thinking of it, trust me. Somehow my magical husband did, but I sure didn’t. This can hurt you or a lineman when it back feeds.

•watch out for extension cords from your generator into the home with standing water. Seems silly to tell you that, but your brain is going to be in shock already, so let’s not shock the rest of you.

•If you have gas cans ready for your generator, don’t set them on the ground!!! Ours floated away and created toxic water all around us and in our house.

•have a bucket of some sort to keep anything electronic dry for immediate use. (Phone/flash lights).

•Get your pet food off of the ground. Have leashes on the table next to your food to get ready to leave on a moment’s notice

•Know where your paddle board/kayak is if you have one and be ready to use it. It saved us

•if your dog crates are on the floor, put them on your kitchen table or anywhere off the ground. We did this trudging through two feet of water and it wasn’t fun…

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