Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: FEMA Urges Residents to Listen to Local Officials About Flooding Risks as Storms Sweep the South and Midwest
FEMA Urges Residents to Listen to Local Officials About Flooding Risks as Storms Sweep the South and Midwest
WASHINGTON — Large storms and severe weather systems are moving across the South and Midwest, which are bringing heavy rain and risks of flooding
FEMA is coordinating with its state, local, tribal and territorial partners to ensure people’s safety is prioritized
Additionally, President Donald J
Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee, providing federal disaster assistance that allows FEMA to identify, mobilize and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency
It is critical to listen to local authorities because they are the best source of information as weather impacts change and develop
There are several ways residents in affected areas can prepare to stay safe during these storms
How to get information: Do not rely on a single source of weather alert information
Instead, tune in to multiple information sources and set up your devices to receive warnings and alerts
Make a habit of checking weather conditions regularly
This includes TV news, radio, a weather app on your smartphone or an online weather service
The FEMA App is your personalized disaster resource
Within the app, you can receive real-time weather and emergency alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations across the country
It can also help you find a nearby shelter if you need to evacuate
It is available on iPhone or Android
How to stay safe:Evacuate immediately, if told to do so
When thunderstorms are in the area, stay alert for rapidly changing conditions
You may notice streams start to rise quickly and become muddy or hear a roaring sound upstream that may be a flood wave moving rapidly toward you
If you observe these things, head immediately for higher ground
Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters
Flash flooding can develop in just minutes
If a flash flood warning is issued, it means a flash flood is imminent or occurring and you should take action
If you are in a flood prone area move immediately to high ground
Get to the highest level if trapped in a building
Only get on the roof as a last resort and once there, signal for help
Do not climb into a closed attic, as you could be trapped by rising floodwater
If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately (unless water is moving quickly) and move to higher ground
Rapidly rising water can engulf the vehicle and its occupants, sweeping them away
Many flood deaths occur from cars being swept downstream
It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks
Never drive around barricades
Local responders use them to safely direct traffic out of flooded areas
Information on keeping important documents safe:Keeping important documents such as birth certificates, passports, drivers’ licenses and Social Security cards in a safe place is important so they are accessible once disaster recovery starts
Take time now to safeguard these items to increase your peace of mind
Think about where to store important documents and valuables
If you have important items in your basement, you may want to consider moving them to a higher location and putting them in waterproof containers if possible
Consider storing electronic copies of important documents in a password-protected format on a removable flash or external hard drive
To learn more about flood safety and preparedness, visit Ready
gov/floods or Listo
gov in Spanish language
joy
li
Thu, 04/03/2025 – 20:19