Welcome to a New School Year!

· Flood watch: Flooding is possible. Stay tuned to radio or television for updates.
· Flash flood watch: Move to higher ground. Flooding without warning is possible.

· When nearby neighborhoods have flooded and you suspect risk to your home; take action, move valuables in your basement to safety, take additional safety precautions if necessary and stay tuned to your local weather station.
· Never enter a flooded building before checking for structural damage, downed power lines or other dangers.
· Cover holes in the roof, broken windows, and take other safety measures to prevent additional loss of property.
· Discard all food and medicines that have come in contact with floodwaters.

· To most effectively clean clothing and household fabrics first dry and then brush off as much dirt possible. Then rinse items in lukewarm water to remove lodged soil. Wash in lukewarm water using a mild detergent. Rinse well and dry in sunlight to sanitize.
· Take damaged furniture and appliances outdoors. Hose off, wash, rinse and dry. A garage or carport is useful for drying items as it is important to keep them out of the sun to help avoid warping.
· Wash metal items promptly and then wipe with a kerosene-soaked cloth which will minimize rusting. Do this in a well ventilated area.
· Never mix chorine bleach with ammonia. The combination produces a toxic gas that can be deadly.
· Avoid walking through floodwaters as they are often contaminated by sewage.

· Do not attempt to drive through floodwater. Find another route.
· If your car stalls in floodwater... immediately abandon it...climb to higher ground. As little as 6 inches of fast-moving floodwater can sweep a person off his/her feet.
· Test your brakes as soon as you can after driving through water. Pump the brakes to dry them out.
· Information about road closures and detours in the event of flooding is often available online. Visit: http://www.wunderground.com and enter your zip code or the zip codes for areas that you are traveling to.

· If you have power, do not enter the basement.
· Call the utility company before turning off power.
· If you have a power outage, report it to your utility company.
· To avoid additional flooding DO NOT use dishwashers or washing machines as they discharge water.
· Use chlorine bleach to disinfect areas affected by flooding. Do this within 24 hours of water receding or removal to minimize mold and mildew.

· Take pictures or make a videotape of the damage.
· Start an inventory of damaged items. Include original purchase receipts whenever possible.
· Promptly report the loss to your insurance agency.
· Some insurers may require you to contact companies to professionally dry out basements/homes using equipment such as high-powered fans with or without heating units.
· Most cities are not covered for flood insurance. Instead, they are covered by the Michigan Municipal Risk Pool. This means cities are not responsible for claims.
· Some communities set up hot lines to report flooding or other community emergenices. Check your local listings, police or fire department for additional information.