Q&A for How to Survive a Flood

Wait on high ground and try to signal rescuers if you are caught in the flood. If you still have time, try to walk to a secure location as soon as possible. Cars are deathtraps in floods and bicycles quickly become worthless.

Let school administrators tell you where to go. Sometimes schools are safe and will be used as community gathering grounds. If you can't stay, retreat to higher ground. Contact family when you get a chance.

Most likely.

For warnings and watches, it doesn't even have to rain for long for flood warnings. After the levee measurements get above 6 metres, start worrying. When the water levels get above 10 metres, you evacuate, and get to a safe place. If not, you're in danger.

Chances are you can't. It's too heavy to lift, and the floodwater is a very real threat. Retreat to higher ground and leave the furniture.

It is best to go to a high place and wait for rescuers to evacuate you from the area.

All you can do is get to the highest level possible. Find a way out onto your roof. Hold onto anything you can and wait. Wave your arms and call for help to signal to rescuers. If you've got a phone handy, you can call in an emergency.

Contact the police and tell them where you are. They will come and rescue you.

Flash floods should be treated the same as regular floods, except that the floodwater gathers a lot quicker. This means that you'll have less time to get to shelter. Stay prepared in advance for these incidents.

Yes, but some of your supplies may get damaged. Drybags can't stop at least some water from seeping in.

You can, but you'll never need them. It's important to stay out of the water as long as you are able. If you get caught up in the water, you won't have a chance to put them on. Chances are water that you get stuck in will be too strong to swim through.

Many floods will last days, but others can last for months. Big floods are a danger in urban areas where the water can't be absorbed, such as New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Even after the flood is gone, the damage caused by it persists for many years.

Bring your pets with you. Leaving them caged or tied up means they can't escape to safety. If you have to evacuate, you won't know when you'll be allowed back. Also, pets are even more susceptible to moving water, so you'll have to have them close to you.

No. These floods tend to be very dangerous because they mean a lot of water all of a sudden. Sometimes they can be confined to smaller areas, but always treat them as threats to your safety.

Floods can happen anywhere, although some areas are more prone than others. Low-lying areas that get a lot of rain quickly are in danger. Channels, rivers, and streams can also fill with water quickly, which can include a city like Chicago as well as desert land in the American Southwest. Even so, mountainous areas are not always safe since melted ice or rain can cause a flood.

Not much can be done, just improvise with what you have. It's always a good idea to memorize the phone numbers of one or two of the people closest to you.

Emergency services will put out a bulletin over the TV, radio, and online. There will be a large amount of rain causing the flood risk. The flood will develop faster than a normal flood. You'll be told to evacuate to higher ground.

Watch the news for warnings. Seal up your home to prepare. Escape to safe shelter when told to evacuate. If you're stuck at home, take shelter in a closet or other area low to the ground and away from threats like glass windows.

Follow the same procedures as everyone else. Evacuate when you're told to do so. Head for shelter. Your community will have designated safe areas, but you can always look for higher ground. If you are unable to escape home, try heading for an upper floor or the roof.

You could if you wanted to, but it's not really necessary for flood preparation. Floods happen very slowly, you would know it was coming in plenty of time to make your way out of the house through the front/back door.

It can be, in some sense. A dam can burst, for example, causing a flood. The way people dig channels or affect water flow can assist in flooding. However, flooding is considered a natural disaster and is caused by rain.

It depends on how you define "biggest." The deadliest floods in history were the China floods in 1931, which are estimated to have killed between 1 and 4 million people.

Floods can come from hurricanes, heavy rain and tsunamis. Tsunamis are formed as a result of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides that occur under the sea.

Yes, you can do that as a last resort.

If possible, go to anattic. If you don't have an attic, evacuate and go to higher ground.

The water is very dangerous. You can drown or get swept away in a current. In addition, the waters cause plenty of damage to structures. They can happen just about anywhere in the world, blocking off roads and cutting power supplies.

Try to get them fast as possible. If they get swept away, remember that your life is more important than your furry friend, so you may not be able to save them.

If you are on the roof, they could see you if you shoot flares up in the sky.

If it's trapped in the flood, there's a chance that it'll survive since it's a marine animal. But if you don't want this to happen, try keeping it in a bag full of water so when the flood hits, you won't have to pick up its fish bowl.

By definition a flash flood is very fast, although there's no specific speed associated with one. If moving water suddenly causes significant property damage in a low-lying area, it's a flash flood.