Flood water may carry silt, raw sewage, oil or chemical waste. If foods have been in contact with flood waters, use this information to determine their safety.

Natural disasters such as floods are stressful events for families. Evacuating their home is obviously stressful for children. Plan ahead by packing a disaster supplies kit for each of your children to grab if your family has to evacuate due to flood conditions or other reasons.

If you do not plan to rebuild your flood-damaged home until next year, you must prepare it for winter.

For many homeowners the first line of defense against water in the basement is a sump with a pump in it. The sump may be connected to drain tile that drains the footings of the house, under the entire basement, or just the area where the sump is located. Many houses have tiling installed only around a portion of the house. The water that drains into the sump must be removed, and this is accomplished with a sump pump.

Prepare early. For homes in areas of the country prone to flooding or heavy rain, taking a few steps to prepare for water levels that could result in sewage backing up into a home makes sense.

This is a step by step guide to prepare a home for a flood.

A sandbag dike must be built properly to prevent or reduce flood damage.

Exposure to mold can cause cold-like symptoms, respiratory problems, nasal and sinus congestion, watery eyes, sore throat, coughing and skin irritations, and can easily be breathed deeply into the lungs, it is not safe to live in houses wit high mold. This publication tells the health effects, where to look for mold, mold removal and preventing mold growth.

A water table above the basement floor causes water to continually seek ways to enter the basement. This publication touches on what happens when that occurs and what can be done to prevent it from happening.

Wood submerged in water will absorb a large amount of water. Rebuilding too quickly after a flood can cause continuing problems such as mold growth, insect infestations and deterioration of the wood and wall coverings.