Flood Watches, Warnings Up Across the South; Follow these Safety Steps

All eyes are on the heavy rain and thunderstorms putting parts of the South and Gulf Coast under flood watches and warnings. The American Red Cross is monitoring the situation and preparing to respond if necessary.

The National Weather Service has issued flood watches from eastern Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley and southern Appalachians. Conditions are favorable for heavy rain and flooding over the next few days, especially in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Meanwhile, the area around San Diego, California, received record-breaking rain earlier this week ─ nearly three inches in just three hours ─ causing dangerous flooding throughout the area. Local Red Cross teams are supporting shelters to ensure people impacted have a safe place to stay.

YOU CAN HELP people affected by disasters like flooding and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767), or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

FLOODING SAFETY

Turn around, don’t drown. Stay off the roads. If you must drive and encounter a flooded roadway while driving, turn around and go another way. 

• If your neighborhood is prone to flooding, be prepared to evacuate quickly if necessary.  

• Follow evacuation orders and do not attempt to return until officials say it is safe to do so. Follow evacuation routes and do not try to take shortcuts because they may be blocked. 

• If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. Most cars can be swept away by less than two feet of moving water. 

• Head for higher ground and stay there. 

• Be especially cautious at night when it’s harder to see flood danger. 

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

• Keep children and pets away from hazardous sites and floodwaters.  

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

• Offer help to people who require special assistance including older adults, those without transportation, large families, people with disabilities and the people who care for them. 

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

• If any gas or electrical appliances were flooded, don’t use them until they have been checked for safety. 

• Dispose of any food that has come into contact with flood water. 

• Take pictures of home damage, both of the buildings and its contents, for insurance purposes.

DOWNLOAD OUR APPS 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. 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.