Keep Your Head Above Water

Flood preparation and recovery.

By Alexandra Walsh

As we recall from this summer’s tragic headlines, floods can be devastating disasters, especially flash floods that come with little to no warning. They are among the most common hazards in the United States.

Floods can result from sudden heavy rain, rising rivers, tidal surges, ice jams, and dam failures. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are working on a public education campaign to improve how people prepare for and respond to severe weather.

Workers responding to flooded areas face the greatest risks from floods. Still, all workers can help protect themselves by preparing and practicing evacuation plans at their office and learning about the hazards commonly linked with floods.

Planning and Preparedness

If you don’t already know, contact your local county geologist or county planning department to get information about whether your business is in an area prone to flooding. If you are in an area susceptible to flooding, you should monitor radio or television stations for information about flood watches and warnings.

If you receive information about the possibility of flash flooding, be prepared to move to higher ground immediately. In all cases, you should be prepared to evacuate before water levels rise and potentially cut off evacuation routes.

Emergency Equipment

Keep emergency supply kits handy in sheltered locations and work vehicles. Store items in airtight plastic bags and put your disaster supplies kit in easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.

A flood disaster supplies kit should include:

• Food (several-day supply of non-perishable food)
• Manual can opener for food
• Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
• Battery-powered or hand-cranked radio
• Cellphone with chargers and a backup battery
• Extra batteries
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Local maps
• Whistle (to signal for help)
• Insect repellent, screens, long-sleeve and long-leg clothing to protect from mosquitoes in pooled water after the flood
• Plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape (to shelter in place)
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
• Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities).

Prepare to Evacuate

Never ignore an evacuation order. Authorities will direct you to leave if you are at your office and in a low-lying area or within the potential path of rising waters.

Having an evacuation plan in place before a flood occurs can help prevent confusion, injuries, and property damage. A comprehensive evacuation plan should include:

• Conditions that will activate the plan
• Chain of command
• Emergency functions and who will perform them
• Specific evacuation procedures, routes, and exits
• Specific evacuation procedures for employees at remote worksites
• Procedures for accounting for personnel and visitors in your building
• Reviewing the plan with workers and practicing evacuation.

Even if you haven’t been ordered to evacuate yet, it’s always best to be prepared when a flood watch is issued. In addition to the evacuation plan, think ahead:

• Fill vehicle gas tanks and make sure emergency kits are in the vehicles.
• Identify essential documents such as business insurance records, medical records, insurance information and ID cards. Put them in a waterproof material to carry with you during evacuation.
• Fill your clean water containers.
• Review your emergency plans and supplies to ensure all necessary items are accounted for.
• Tune in the radio or television for weather updates.
• Listen for disaster sirens and warning signals.
• Adjust the thermostat on refrigerators and freezers to the coolest possible temperature.

If a flood warning is issued for your area or you are directed by authorities to evacuate:

• Take only essential items with you.
• If you have time, turn off the gas, electricity, and water.
• Disconnect machinery to prevent electrical shock when power is restored.
• Follow the designated evacuation routes and expect heavy traffic.
• Do not attempt to drive, walk, or swim across creeks or flooded roads.
• Monitor the radio or television for weather updates.
• Prepare to evacuate if your business facility is damaged, or if you are instructed to do so by emergency personnel.

Training and Exercises

Check that all workers know what to do in the event of an emergency. Practice evacuation plans regularly and update them based on lessons learned from practice exercises.

Response/Recovery

In the aftermath of a flood, workers may be involved in a variety of response and recovery operations. The following are general guidelines that may be applicable to workers involved in assessing or cleaning up the damage to their work site.

However, some operations such as utility restoration, cleaning up spills of hazardous materials, and search and rescue should only be conducted by workers who have the proper training, equipment, and experience.

–Electrical Safety

Workers can expect to find standing water present throughout a flood zone. If water has been present anywhere near electrical circuits and electrical equipment, turn off the power at the main breaker or fuse on the service panel. Never enter flooded areas or touch electrical equipment if the ground is wet. Stay well clear of any downed or damaged power lines.

–Clearing Downed Trees and Brush

When floods occur, debris and downed trees can block public roads and damage power lines. As with
electrical hazards, when removing trees and clearing debris there are potential hazards of electrocution from contact with downed power lines or tree limbs in contact with power lines and being struck or crushed by falling tree limbs.

Another potential hazard is being injured by the equipment, such as chain saws and chippers. Proper
protective equipment including gloves, foot protection, eye protection, fall protection, hearing protection and head protection must be used when using chainsaws and chippers to clear downed trees.

–Driving in Flood Conditions

It is crucial to exercise caution when driving in flood conditions. Nearly half of flood-related fatalities
involve vehicles. As little as 6 inches of standing water can stall some cars, 1 foot of water can float a vehicle, and 2 feet of moving water can wash a car away. If the water level rises around your vehicle, you should leave the vehicle.

Be wary of unknown road conditions. Do not try to cross flooded roadways if you do not know how deep the water is.

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In addition to the hazards already mentioned, workers in a flooded area may also need to deal with carbon monoxide, injuries from lifting, mold, rodents, snakes, insects, chemical and biological hazards, fire, drowning, hypothermia, physical exhaustion.

It all makes for a daunting list, but OSHA has a helpful resources page at www.osha.gov/flood/osha-resources with QuickCards™ and fact sheets that provide a summary of some of the most common hazards associated with floods as well as precautions that can be taken to protect against those hazards.

Alexandra Walsh is the vice president of Association Vision, a Washington, D.C.–area communications company. She has extensive experience in management positions with a range of organizations.