How You Can Prepare for Flooding
You can prepare for a flooding emergency before it happens.
Prepare.
Take a few moments to prepare for a flooding emergency.
- Create an emergency flood kit. Be sure to include important paper work such as copies of insurance policies and birth certificates, extra batteries and flashlights, a battery-powered radio, medications and food and drinkable water for at least 72 hours.
- Don’t forget your pets! Find carriers for cats, leashes for dogs and be sure to include any of their medications and food in your emergency kit.
- Identify and document your personal belongings. This information can be used after a flood, if necessary.
- Create a plan. Talk with family members about where to go and what to do during a flood emergency.
- Follow the directions provided via media and by the Police and Fire Departments to ensure that you are heading in the safest possible direction.
Protect.
In a day, a flood can wipe out your most important investment- your home.
The SFHA, as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, represents the 100-year regulatory floodplain. This means that in any given year, your property has a 1-in-100 chance of becoming flooded. In SFHA, flood insurance is typically mandatory for all homeowners who carry a mortgage on their property. To see if you are in an area where flood insurance is mandatory, please find your property on a Flood Insurance Rate Map. For information about flood insurance and Risk Rating 2.0, please visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 800-427-4661.
Know the Warning Signals
- Sign up for Everbridge Alerts. Receive emergency alert information on your phone or via email.
- Listen for Sirens. In the case of emergency, police and fire officials will use their sirens and loudspeakers to alert you to necessary information about the emergency.
- Turn on TV or Radio. During large storms events, tune into a local station to find out information about emergency and evacuation routes. The emergency broadcast station for Sacramento is KFBK Radio 1530-AM.
Know Your Flood Terms
Flood Watch = Be Aware
-Turn on TV/radio.
-Know where to go.
-Have your emergency kit ready/
Flood Warning = Take Action
-Move immediately to higher ground or stay on high ground.
-Evacuate if directed.
-Avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
Sandbags
During a flood watch sandbag locations can be found by calling 311. Also, listen to your local TV stations for sandbag locations.
How to Fill and Use Sandbags
SAFETY TIPS
- Turn Around, Don’t Drown! ® - Avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
- Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away.
- If floodwaters rise around your car but the water is not moving, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Do not leave the car and enter moving water.
- Avoid camping or parking along streams, rivers, and creeks during heavy rainfall. These areas can flood quickly and with little warning.
Other Resources
Ready.gov
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Storm Preparedness
Sacramento Ready
Be Flood Ready Brochure (PDF)
City of Sacramento Evacuation Maps
Know your flood risk!
Department of Water Resources Flood Risk Notification
Natomas Floodplain Remap Information
South Sacramento Floodplain Remap