Flood Safety Tips

3/20/2017 (Permalink)

Even though we live in the mountains, there is the potential for flooding. Anywhere it can rain, it can flood. The most dangerous type of flood, a flash flood, happens quickly with little or no warning. Just ask the people who live in Gilmer County who experienced flooding in early August--or the people in Union County who experienced flooding in early July.

Here are some tips provided by ready.gov to keep you safe during floods:

• Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle can be swept away quickly.
• Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw sewage.
• If your property suffers flood damage, clean and disinfect everything that got wet. Mud left from floodwaters can contain sewage and chemicals.