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During a Flood
When flooding is occurring or is imminent, your first priority is the physical safety of you and your loved ones. Once your physical safety is ensured you can take additional steps to protect your home and belongings.
Flood Safety: Turn Around, Don't Drown!
Keep yourself and loved ones safe by avoiding walking or driving through floodwaters.
- Listen to public officials for current emergency information and instructions.
- Madison is a highly urbanized environment with greenways, large storm pipes, and streams that are used to help safely convey large amounts of stormwater. When flash flooding is occurring, they can potentially be carrying large amounts of fast-moving water and debris. Just six inches of moving water can knock you down and one foot can sweep a vehicle away! Treat these stormwater features with respect; keep a safe distance and teach children to do the same.
- Even when stormwater is not moving, it is not hazard free. It can often be deeper than it appears, and it can be hiding hazards such as downed powerlines, sharp debris, and access structures, for underground utilities, with missing lids.
- Additionally, while Madison runs independent systems for its wastewater and stormwater, that does not mean that floodwaters are free from chemical hazards such as those that settle on the road surface.
- If caught in floodwaters, act quickly. Save yourself, not your belongings.
- If it seems like your home will flood significantly, shut off water, gas, and electrical services. These utilities can create additional hazards in your home as floodwaters rise.
Secure Belongings, Consider Sandbagging
When your physical safety is ensured, there are additional steps you can take to secure your belongings.
- Clear out essential belongings in basements or levels known to flood by bringing objects to higher floors or elevation.
- If possible, secure outdoor belongings or bring them inside.
- Sandbags can be an effective tool for preventing flood damage to structures from high lake level flooding (Note: Please view the story maps using Firefox or Google Chrome browsers. Story maps are not viewable with Internet Explorer). Monitor lake water levels closely if you live nearby and know where, when, and how to obtain free sandbags if needed. Individuals are encouraged to bring their own shovels for filling purposes.