What to do - Flood
Learning how to prevent and reduce the effects of flooding is a task for all of us.
Share what you know in your family, at school, with friends and colleagues: disseminating information about flood risk is a collective responsibility to which we all must contribute.
You, too, with simple actions, can help reduce the risk of flooding.
Respect the environment and if you see bulky waste abandoned, clogged drains, water courses etc. partially obstructed, report it to the Municipality.
Ask your Municipality about the emergency plan to find out which areas may get flooded, escape routes and safe areas of your city if there is not, ask for it to be prepared, in order to know how to behave.
Pinpoint the tools that the Municipality and the Region use to send out the alert and stay constantly informed.
Make sure that your school or workplace receive the alert and have an emergency plan for flood risk.
If people of your family need special assistance, verify that the local emergency plan provides for specific measures.
Avoid storing valuables in the cellar or in the basement.
Make sure that in case of need the highest floors of your building are easily accessible.
Keep copies of important documents, a first aid kit, a flashlight, a battery-operated radio at home and make sure everyone knows where they are.
Learn which is the correct behaviour in case of alert, during a flood and right after it.
Stay informed on possible criticalities in the area and the measures adopted by your municipality.
Do not sleep in basements and avoid staying there.
Protect premises located at street level and shut the doors of cellars, basements or garage only if doing so does not expose you to danger.
If you need to move, first evaluate the path and avoid areas that might get flooded.
Evaluate if you need to secure the car or other properties: it can be dangerous.
Share what you know on the alert and on the correct behaviour.
Check that your child’s school is informed of the ongoing alert and is ready to activate the emergency plan.
If you are indoors
Do not go down in the cellars, basements or garage to secure the goods: you will risk your life.
Absolutely do not go outside to secure the car.
If you are in a basement or ground floor, go up to the upper floors. Avoid the elevator: it may get stuck.
Help the elderly and people with disabilities who are in the building.
Turn off the gas and the electrical system. Do not touch wirings and equipment with wet hands or feet.Do not drink tap water: it may be contaminated.
Limit mobile phone use: holding free lines facilitates relief efforts.
Stay informed on how the situation evolves and follow directions provided by the authorities.
If you are outdoors
Move away from the flooded area: due to the speed at which water flows, even a few inches could make you fall.
Reach quickly the nearest high area avoiding heading to slopes or artificial embankments that could collapse.
Be careful where you walk: there may be chasms, potholes, open manholes etc.
Avoid using the car. Even a few inches of water may cause you to lose control of the vehicle or cause the car turning off: you will run the risk of being trapped.
Avoid underpasses, embankments, bridges: stopping or transiting in these places can be very dangerous.
Limit mobile phone use: holding free lines facilitates relief efforts.
Stay informed on how the situation evolves and follow the directions provided by the authorities.
Follow the instructions of the authorities before taking any action, like going back to the house, shovelling mud, emptying water from basements, etc.
Do not pass along flooded roads: there may be chasms, potholes, open manholes or severed wires. In addition, water may be contaminated by fuel or other substances.
Pay attention to areas where the water has receded: the road surface may be weakened and collapse.
Check to see if you can reactivate the gas and the electrical system. If necessary, ask for the advice of a technician.
Before using the sewage systems, gather information on whether drainage systems, septic tanks and wells are not damaged.
Before drinking tap water make sure that municipal ordinances or warnings do not prohibit it; do not eat food that have come into contact with floodwater: it could be contaminated.