Protect People

Protect people from flood hazard.

  • Prepare your family (FEMA “Know Your Risks brochure). 
  • Do not walk through flood waters. 
  • Do not drive through a flooded area. 
  • Stay away from power lines and electrical wires.

Turn around, don't drown!

Most flood fatalities happen because people try to drive through deadly waters rather than avoid them. (Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2005)

  • Pay attention to barricades. Don't ignore them by driving past them.
  • Do not drive through standing water on roads or in parking lots.
  • The average automobile can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water, and roads covered by water are prone to collapse. 
  • Attempting to drive through water also may stall your engine, with the potential to cause irreparable damage if you try to restart the engine. 
  • If you come upon a flooded street, take an alternate route.
Hurricane Fran

Pictured: Topsail Island, N.C., September 6, 1996 - An Urban Search and Rescue team inspects damaged and destroyed property for people who have been reported missing after Hurricane Fran. Photo by Dave Gatley/FEMA News, Location: Topsail Island, NC.​