Flooding – Be Prepared

Be ready when waters rise.

Take steps to prevent flooding around your home or business.

Before a storm

• Sign up for emergency alerts:
  • Tacoma emergency notifications.
  • Your local emergency alert system.
  • Pierce County ALERT.
  • Washington alerts and warnings.
• Remove leaves, ice, snow, and other debris from drains near street corners and low areas.
• Dispose of leaves and other yard debris in compost areas, gardens, or a landfill.
• Direct downspouts at least 10 feet away from your home or business and clear gutters.
• If you are in a flood-prone area, keep sandbags on hand.
• Put chemicals like fertilizers, pesticides, and engine oil on high shelves.
• If you have a septic system, keep it well maintained. Before a storm, turn off power to the septic system and seal entry points, if possible.

Prepare for flooding

• Know the safest route out of your home or business. Plan a spot to meet. Remember your pets.
• Keep a list of valuables, including personal property, in a safe location.
• Create an emergency kit:
  • Food.*
  • Drinking water.*
  • Medicine/first aid.*
  • Flashlights.*
  • Pet food.
  • Radio.
  • Batteries.
  • Cooking equipment.

*Keep extra in your vehicle. Make sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas.

During the flood

• Check the National Weather Service for updates.
• Flooded food service establishments must close.
• Follow evacuation advisories.
• Watch for washed-out roads and downed power lines. Don’t drive over a flooded road.

After the flood

• Food establishments must follow these guidelines. To reopen, contact our Food Safety Program at food@tpchd.org or (253) 649-1417.
• To prevent mold, remove moisture where possible. Open windows and doors and warm the house.
• Wash your hands with soap and water. Don’t use contaminated water. If soap and clean water aren’t available, use antibacterial hand sanitizer. 
• While you clean up, wear gloves and boots. Make sure your tetanus vaccine is up to date. Get a tetanus vaccine booster every 10 years.
• Discard any food items that contacted flood water. 
• Clean refrigerators or freezers that contacted flood water. Use bleach solution (1 cup bleach per 1 gallon water) and wipe with clean water after 1 minute.

If you get water from a well

• Material carried by the flood can contaminate drinking water. Use bottled water or boil well water for 3 to 5 minutes before:
  • Drinking.
  • Brushing teeth.
  • Washing dishes.
  • Preparing food.
• If you can’t boil or buy water, use household bleach.
  • If the water is clear, use 8 drops per gallon of water.
  • If the water is cloudy, use 16 drops per gallon of water.
  • After adding the bleach to the water, wait 30 minutes to use.  
• Flush and chlorinate your well. Use a certified laboratory to test your water for bacteria.

If you have a septic system

• If sewage backs up, stay out of the area. 
• Don’t pump the septic tank. Pumping the tank can cause it to break or float. It can also damage inlet and outlet pipes.
• Don’t put water from a basement sump pump into the septic system or onto the drainfield.
• Take fewer showers or baths.
• Don’t use the washing machine or dishwasher.

Resources

• What to do in a flood.
• What to do in a flood if you have a well or septic system.
• Flooding info, City of Tacoma.
• Flood services and info, Pierce County.
• Flooding facts, Environmental Protection Agency.
• Flood safety, American Red Cross.
• Septic systems before during and after a flood, National Environmental Health Association.