Global Rescue<\/a> to get them home when the worst happens. It\u2019s not just about avoiding a six-figure emergency rescue bill, it\u2019s about having a team behind you, ready, no matter where you roam and no matter what happens.” Michael – Founder, Overland Bound<\/p>\nSeek high ground \u2013 The simplest solutions are often the best ones. The farther you get from the water, the better off you are. If an evacuation order is given, heed it and move out quickly. Floodwaters present many dangers; in addition to the possibility of being swept away in an unpredictable swell, the water itself will almost certainly be contaminated. If you live in a highly settled area, household chemicals and sewage will make the water highly hazardous.
\nKnow how to prepare supplies \u2013 Food that is in watertight packaging will be useful. Food that can spoil, will. Canned food is a good bet, and anything well-sealed in plastic should be safe. Find small, packable items like nutrition bars and stash them with unopened bottles of water in a waterproof container.
\nIf you can\u2019t evacuate, stay where you are \u2013 While you may think you can swim your way out, or build a makeshift raft and escape, the reality is your chances are better if you stay put. A seaworthy raft is more complicated than lashing a few boards together, and swimming or wading through the water puts you in all kinds of danger.”Your best bet in a flood is sheltering in place,\u201d Laurich says. \u201cOn a second floor or a roof,\u201d Pache says, \u201cthat would be Plan B if you can\u2019t evacuate in time. You don\u2019t want to be in the water. Floodwater is often contaminated with sewage, chemicals and other substances that can make you sick or cause infection.\u201d
\nDon\u2019t drink untreated water \u2013 If there\u2019s water above ground, that means the ground itself is saturated, and that could mean that water coming out of a tap or hose is contaminated from the flood. Bottled water is best, but if you can boil water (and you should plan on doing so even if a boil-water order hasn\u2019t been issued), that will provide a source of clean drinking and bathing water too.
\nShelter smart \u2013 While the roof of a building offers high ground and visibility, it also leaves you exposed to the elements, and when drinking water and other supplies are low, the dangers of exposure increase. Also, know the area \u2013 If you live in an area where there are rattlesnakes, for instance, remember that those animals need a place to go too, and they might try for the same tree you think will offer you dry shelter.
\nIf you can\u2019t stay dry \u2013 Going into the floodwater is the last thing you want to do, but if the worst-case scenario comes true, remember to:<\/p>\n
Find something sturdy that floats, and hang on to it.
\nDon\u2019t swim against the current \u2013 it\u2019s stronger than you.
\nTrees can be used as last resorts, but remember that wildlife may also seek sanctuary in them \u2013 if there are snakes in your area, they very well may make new homes in the trees.
\nDon\u2019t try to drive \u2013 Driving a car in a flood is a fool\u2019s errand. Your vehicle likely won\u2019t be water-tight, and even if you\u2019re not worried about getting your feet wet, the vehicle won\u2019t be of much use if the tires lose contact with the ground. \u201cTwo feet of water will do just about any vehicle in,\u201d Pache says. \u201cThere always seems to be people who think they can drive across water that\u2019s two feet deep,\u201d Laurich says. But if you have just a little bit of lift, you lose traction and now you\u2019re driving a very clumsy raft.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2026But if you must drive, drive smart \u2013 While driving, pay extreme attention to road and traffic conditions, with a special emphasis on bodies of water on the roadway. DO NOT drive into any moving or standing body of water that appears deeper than four inches as the force of the water\u2019s movement is strong enough to float and carry away your vehicle. We advise keeping the car radio tuned to a station providing local traffic reports and emergency information and to obey all traffic laws, signs and detours.<\/p>\n
Vehicle Flood Checklist<\/p>\n
We also advise that you have the following items in your vehicle while you are traveling. Please note this list is extensive, and offers insight into how to create and prepare for the best outcomes in worst case scenarios:<\/p>\n
Automotive standalone GPS unit with automobile accessory port charger \u2013 Cell phone service may be unreliable, rendering the maps app in your smartphone useless.
\n5-gallon gasoline can and enough cash for at least 3 gallons of gas at twice the normal price in your area
\nTwo heavy wool or synthetic fleece blankets for each passenger expected and or (1) non-down fill sleeping bag per passenger expected
\nTwo rolls of heavy-duty contractor trash bags
\nRoll of duct tape
\nA multi-tool, i.e. Leatherman or Swiss Army knife
\nSet of rain clothing for each passenger expected
\nThree mobile phone power bank batteries with USB charger cables
\nSatellite phone or satellite texting-enabled device
\n12-Volt automotive accessory port power adaptors for USB devices
\nUSB charger cables for each mobile phone
\nTwo changes of clothing for each passenger expected
\nThree large waterproof tarps
\nTent large enough for all expected passengers
\nFive gallons of water per passenger expected per day for three days (15 gallons per passenger)
\nThree meals per day for three days (nine meals) for each expected passenger
\nHigh energy snacks (beef jerky, peanuts, trail mix, candy bars)
\nBottled water, tea, coffee or soda
\nBattery powered AM\/FM\/Weather radio with three sets spare batteries
\nOne flashlight per expected passenger and three sets spare batteries
\nOne automotive jump-start battery set
\nOne set jumper cables
\nOne spare tire filled with air to OEM requirements
\nOne set automotive jack and tire wrench
\nSix cans of Fix-a-Flat
\nWarm jacket for each expected passenger
\nAt least three color photocopies of each expected passenger\u2019s identification documents, health insurance information and the vehicle\u2019s insurance and registration documents
\nTwo boxes of 1-gallon zip-lock plastic bags
\nAt least $500 USD cash in small bills no larger than $20 USD
\nAt least two major credit cards
\nATM \/ Debit Card
\nMobile phone
\nAt least three printed copies of important telephone contact numbers such as insurance providers, automobile service help line, physician and family points of contact
\nOne backpack for each passenger expected
\nAt least 100 feet of half inch synthetic rope<\/p>\n
Downloadable Checklist (must be logged in)<\/p>\n
About Aaron Laurich and Drew Pache:<\/p>\n
“Their combined decades of experience, which includes many years of service in the U.S. Army’s Special Forces, give them unsurpassed expertise when it comes to preparing for disaster and managing the aftermath.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
America\u2019s fourth-largest city is in peril. Hurricane Harvey has dropped more than 1 trillion gallons of rain on Houston, Texas, and the surrounding area since it made landfall on Aug. 25. It is the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":34633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1260","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","category-vehicle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/34633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overlandbound.com\/marketing-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}