Here are some things you can do to be better prepared for major flooding

By CALEIGH WELLS Catastrophic floods can be complicated to prepare for Sometimes evacuation is the right call but if it s too late the best bet is to find higher ground nearby The stakes can be high because a flash flood may give those in its path only minutes or seconds to react The right moves depend on the storm and the geography mentioned James Doss-Gollin an assistant professor who teaches civil and environmental engineering at Rice University For example the advice won t be the same for people who live near a beach and those who live by a river he mentioned Various places you re worried about the water moving really fast in the river Particular places you re worried about roads getting flooded but the water might not be moving very fast So often your local area is going to have the best information he mentioned Regardless of the storm or where it s happening Richina Bicette-McCain an urgency physician with Baylor College of Medicine commented preparation is key One of my favorite phrases is if you stay ready then you don t have to get ready she explained FILE Ohio River floods Strader Avenue April in Cincinnati AP Photo Carolyn Kaster File Before the flooding starts If you live in the United States make sure the National Weather Facility s automatic weather alerts on your phone are activated If you live in another country find out what the weather agency and how they provide alerts If you don t have a phone or it s not working the weather amenity recommends NOAA Weather Radio local news coverage and listening for the Emergency Alert System on TV and radio broadcasts These alerts typically include a sparse key phrases that indicate how serious the threat is Here s a quick glossary Flood watch Hazardous weather is attainable Be prepared Flood advisory Flooding is expected to be inconvenient but not necessarily dangerous Be aware Flood warning Hazardous weather is imminent or already happening Take action Flash flood warning Flooding is imminent or already happening and the flood is especially sudden or violent You might only have seconds to find higher ground Flash flood urgency There s a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage is about to happen or is already happening This is exceedingly rare and at this point representatives are typically reporting evacuations and rescues Doss-Gollin declared before the National Weather Operation issues a warning or emergency alert it s significant for people to know where the nearest high places are that will not flood so evacuees can move fast if needed Bicette-McCain has her go-bag ready and refreshed every hurricane season that includes flashlights spare batteries food and water And she revealed patients seeking diagnostic care in flood emergencies typically face one of two problems either they can t use their regular medications or health devices once the power goes out or they re dehydrated So she announced the largest part vital items to throw in are medications batteries and lots of drinking water I don t know if you ve ever been so thirsty that you re just desperate for a morsel of liquid to drink but sometimes people get into that situation and they ll resort to drinking flood water And if you survive the flood the implications of drinking flood water may be what does you in she commented The National Weather Arrangement FEMA and American Red Cross all have crisis go-bag recommendations that include personal hygiene items warm blankets and a whistle to signal for help Doss-Gollin s go-bag includes diapers and milk for his baby and a weather radio that s designed to pick up radio frequencies from far away in incident the power is out or the local tower goes down We have one that s hand-crank which I really like because I m not going to check the batteries on those every couple of months to make sure that they re working he disclosed Once the storm has arrived Find out what local executives are recommending and follow their instructions If it s time to evacuate do it before the storm comes We see a lot of casualties from people attempting to stay at their home Bicette-McCain commented Don t be that person Related Articles Current down the force of water in the Texas floods FACT FOCUS Trump misrepresents facts about wind power during Cabinet meeting Layoffs hit UMN Extension food educators as MN grapples with Trump s budget Burning of fossil fuels caused deaths in latest European heat wave examination estimates Pope prays for world to recognize urgency of atmosphere predicament as he celebrates Mass using new rite Bicette-McCain noted it is never a good idea to touch the stormwater because it is impossible to know how contaminated it is The only exception is if the space you re in is so dangerous that you have to trudge through water to get somewhere safer In that episode she recommended finding an umbrella or big stick to judge how deep the water is or whether there is debris in front of you We re talking very turbulent very putrid waters that you can t see through she explained If it s too late to evacuate don t Trying can be fatal Just inches centimeters of moving water can knock a person down and a foot of moving water can move a car Very often the people that die during floods are driving across bridges or they re trying to drive through water Doss-Gollin reported The one piece of advice that everyone will give you is don t drive through floodwaters ever The Associated Press context and environmental coverage receives financial aid from multiple private foundations AP is solely responsible for all content Find AP s standards for working with philanthropies a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP org