Florida Flooding: Follow these Safety Steps

Heavy rain and strong winds led to flooding and power outages in Florida Wednesday and the threat of more severe weather will continue into Friday.

The National Weather Service reports communities along Florida’s southeast coast could see as much as five inches of rain combined with winds as strong as 40 mph.

The storm system has already flooded neighborhoods in parts of the state, leaving many roads impassable and closing schools. Almost 90,000 customers remain without power. Miami received almost five inches of rain, the Fort Lauderdale area more than five inches, and the Key Largo region saw more than 15 inches of rain.

The American Red Cross is monitoring the situation and offers these steps people should follow to help them stay safe:

AFTER THE FLOOD:

• Do not use water that could be contaminated to wash dishes, brush teeth, prepare food, wash hands, make ice or make baby formula.

• Watch pets closely and keep them under your direct control.

• Help people who require special assistance — children, older adults, those without transportation, large families who may need additional help in an emergency situation, people with disabilities, and the people who care for them.

• Stay away from floodwaters. Beware of snakes, insects and other animals that may be in or around floodwaters and your home.

• If power lines are down outside your home, do not step in puddles or standing water. Report them immediately to the power company.

• Throw out all food, beverages and medicine exposed to flood waters and mud. When in doubt, throw it out. This includes canned goods, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and containers with food or liquid that has been sealed shut.

• Wear protective clothing, including rubber gloves and rubber boots, and be cautious when cleaning up.

• Be careful when moving furnishings or debris because they may be waterlogged and heavier.

• Pump out flooded basements gradually (about one-third of the water per day) to avoid structural damage. If the water is pumped out completely in a short period of time, pressure from water-saturated soil on the outside could cause basement walls to collapse.

• Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits, and leaching systems as soon as possible. Damaged sewage systems are health hazards.

IF THE POWER IS OUT:

• Use flashlights in the dark — not candles.

• Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Traffic lights will be out and roads will likely be congested.

• Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment and appliances. When power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment.

• Leave one light on, so you’ll know when power is restored.

• Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning devices inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. Keep these devices outside away from doors, windows and vents, which could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors.

• During a prolonged outage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to protect your food. Use perishable food from the refrigerator first, then, food from the freezer. If the power outage continues beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. Keep food in a dry, cool spot and cover it at all times.

Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies. The app includes an “I’m Safe” feature that help people check on loved ones. Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.