The Short Guide to Flood Water Safety
Flood Water Safety: the whole thing in five minutes, for when you want the numbers and nothing else.
Staying safe during and after floods, including the risks of driving and walking through water and of contaminated water.
Key takeaways
- Moving water: even shallow moving water can knock you down or sweep a car away
- Rule: turn around, don't drown
- Most useful single change: Find another route instead of driving or walking through flooded roads.
- Commonest mistake: Letting children play in flood water.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Moving water | even shallow moving water can knock you down or sweep a car away |
| Rule | turn around, don't drown |
| Contamination | flood water can contain sewage, chemicals and sharp debris |
| Electrical risk | water can be electrified by downed power lines |
| Food | throw away any food that may have touched flood water |
In one paragraph
Many flood deaths involve vehicles driven into flood water, and flood water often carries sewage, chemicals and hidden debris.
Worth doing
- Find another route instead of driving or walking through flooded roads
- Wear rubber boots and gloves during cleanup
- Wash with soap and clean water after contact with flood water
- Follow local boil-water advisories until officials say the water is safe
Worth avoiding
- Letting children play in flood water
- Entering a flooded building before the power is turned off
- Running a generator or pressure washer indoors during cleanup
Related topics
- The Evidence on Diabetes and Driving, Without the Hype (Diabetes)
- The Evidence on Burns and Scalds, Without the Hype (Emergency Care)
- Food and Water Safety Abroad: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Travel Health)
- Lead in Homes and Water: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Environmental Health)
Where to go next
- Starting Out With Flood Water Safety
- Your Questions About Flood Water Safety, Answered
- Flood Water Safety — the reference entry
- Weather Safety: The Complete Guide
- What the Guidance Really Says About Older Adults and Extreme Weather
- Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke: What the Evidence Actually Says
When to speak to a doctor
Get medical care for a wound exposed to flood water, especially if it becomes red, swollen or oozing, and ask whether you need a tetanus shot. Call 911 if you or someone else is trapped by rising water.
Where this comes from
- CDC — Floods
- American Red Cross — Flood Safety
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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