Extension > Extreme Weather > Flood & water
Flood & water
Prepare for flood - 2011
Extension phone lines
Farm Information Line
1-800-232-9077, fil@umn.edu
Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
General flood questions; voicemail afterhours
AnswerLine
1-800-854-1678 (MN area codes only)
Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–noon and 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Household issues: cleaning and cooking safely
Other phone information
- Emergency & Community Health Outreach (ECHO) — 1-888-883-8831 — Minnesota/North Dakota flood resources in multiple languages.
- 511 Traffic and Road Conditions — Dial 511 — Minnesota Department of Transportation — Weather, construction, delays and more, online or by phone at 5-1-1.
- Minnesota Duty Officer Program — 800-422-0798 (Greater Minnesota only) or 651-649-5451 (Twin Cities Metro Area) — Homeland Security and Emergency Management — Assistance and additional resources for a wide range of emergency situations.
- Severe Weather Awareness — Minnesota Department of Public Safety: Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management — Subscribe to email announcements and updates.
- Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) — a collaborative multi-state effort by Extension Services across the country to improve the delivery of services to citizens affected by disasters.
Featured publication
- Recovering from a Flood — University of Minnesota Extension — Covers immediate response, clean-up, food and water safety, managing stress, pets and wild animals, farm recovery, financial recovery, portable heaters, and more.
Clean-up and hazards
- Cleanup: Frequently asked questions (FAQs) — Compiled by University of Minnesota Extension – Help for returning to a flood-damaged home.
- Priorities for clean-up and repair after a flood — University of Minnesota Extension — Safety first: shut off gas and power, wear boots and gloves.
- Cleaning flooded floors and woodwork — University of Minnesota Extension — Scrub floors and woodwork within 48 hours (but no ammonia).
- Flooded walls - drying and cleaning — University of Minnesota Extension — Quickly dry surfaces; remove all wet insulation, and more.
- Cleaning up after a flood — University of Minnesota Extension — Clean, then disinfect, with suitable products.
- La limpieza después de una inundación (Spanish) — University of Minnesota Extension — Limpiar y disinfectar con productor correcto.
Cleaning your home after a flood
First consideration is safety: check structural damage, electricity and ductwork before cleaning — University of Minnesota Extension
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- Disaster Quick Tips: Personal Protective Equipment — Minnesota Department of Health — Protect your skin, head, eyes, breathing, feet, and health.
- Floods: Minimizing Pollution and Health Risks — Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Household and industrial hazards, heating oil, drinking water, asbestos, manure, and more.
- Hazards of Flood Cleanup Work — National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health — Electricity, carbon monoxide, cold, fire, hazardous materials, and more.
- Flood Cleanup Alerts — United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) — Health hazards, fungi, asbestos and lead poisoning.
- Flood Cleanup — Environmental Protection Agency — Publications and links on mold, bacteria and viruses (English and Spanish.)
- Floods: Protecting Your Health — Minnesota Department of Health — Simple precautions to help you avoid possible health risks during a flood.
- After the Flood – A Homeowner’s Checklist — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation — Start by drying house, furnishings within 48 hours.
- Reentering Your Flooded Home — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Never turn power on or off yourself; drying out your house.
Water, moisture
- Moisture in basements: causes and solutions — University of Minnesota Extension — Five approaches to fixing the problem.
- Excess moisture in the home — University of Minnesota Extension — Keep humidity level at 30% to 45%.
- Testing housing materials for moisture — University of Minnesota Extension — Concrete, drywall, wood, furniture do best when moisture is less than 10%.
- Dry Out Before Rebuilding – North Dakota State University -- Wood holds lots of moisture. How to reduce it before replacing wallboard.
- Using a Moisture Meter Before Rebuilding — North Dakota State University—Video demonstration of how to properly use a moisture meter to determine when wood is dry.
- Managing Water Infiltration into Buildings — Department of Environmental Health & Safety, University of Minnesota — A checklist for water damage, and more.
Fungi, mold, mildew
- Anti-Microbial Pesticide Manual — University of Minnesota Extension, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Department Health — For managing indoor mold and water remediation, mid-technical level (250 pages).
- Molds—Your safe home — University of Minnesota Extension — Detect, disinfect, and prevent mold to avoid health problems.
- El moho — su hogar seguro (Spanish)
- How to remove mildew — University of Minnesota Extension — From textiles, paper, painted surfaces.
- Mold internet references available to the public — University of Minnesota Extension — Facts, Q&As, checklist, and more.
- Mold in Homes — Minnesota Department of Health — Investigate for mold; six steps to removal.
- Protect Yourself from Mold — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Recognizing and preventing mold.
- Mold — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — A Web course, publications, and more.
- Fungi in Buildings — Department of Environmental Health & Safety, University of Minnesota — Glossary and references.
Septic systems
- Septic System Operation after a Flood — University of Minnesota Extension Water Resources Center — Pump the tank as soon as possible and more. (PDF, 301K)
- Septic aystem owner's guide — University of Minnesota Extension — 33-page owner's guide for septic system use and maintenance. Includes chapter on operation after a flood.
- Preventing and Solving Sewage Treatment Problems During a Flood — Minnesota Department of Health — Stop using the system if it becomes flooded, and more.
More on Housing Clean-up after a disaster.
Food and Water
Cleaning your well and septic after a flood
Hire a certified septic professional to assess tank and soil treatment area. Also check for compliance. — University of Minnesota Extension
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- Safe Drinking Water from Wells in Flooded Areas (281 K PDF) — University of Minnesota Extension — Steps for disinfecting water.
- Food Safety During a Flood — Minnesota Department of Health — Wash hands and surfaces, and much more.
- Handling Food Through Floods (58 K PDF) — North Dakota State University — Preparing for power failure; assessing flooded foods.
More on Food & Water safety during and after a disaster.
Caregivers of Children
Internet resources
- Floods — FEMA for Kids — Federal Emergency Management Agency — Flood terms, games and flood math.
- Flood Information for Children — North Dakota State University Extension Service — Helping kids deal with stress, anger and disaster.
- PBS In Focus: Floods — Public Broadcasting Service — Flood stories, science, pet rescues, and more.
Curriculum and lesson plans
- Minnesota Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) K–12 — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Wetlands, seasons, topography, and more; the journey of a droplet in a flood.
- WeatherEye: Flash Flood! — Central Iowa Power Cooperative and KGAN-TV — Flood types, safety, quiz, and teacher’s guide.
- Flood! — Public Broadcasting Service: Nova Online — The Great Flood of 1993 and more; lesson plans
More on Family recovery, including disaster planning, helping others cope, and stress and grief.
Finances
- Document losses, expenses as first step in financial recovery after a flood — University of Minnesota Extension — News release: Address the financial issues that accompany disaster to aid in recovery.
- Putting the pieces back together after a flood — University of Minnesota Extension — News release: Actions to take towards financial recovery.
- Financial information for flood & disaster preparation and recovery — University of Minnesota Extension — News release: Review your policy with your insurance agent before disaster strikes.
More on Finances and recovery after a disaster, and getting through tough times.
More prepare and recover resources for your Family.
Farm
Livestock
- Maintaining Livestock Health after a Flood: Issues of Disease Control and Sanitation — National Ag Safety Database — Give animals extra care; clear fields of debris.
- Weather-related livestock sales — University of Minnesota Extension — Livestock sales resulting from adverse weather conditions may be deferrable.
Crops
- Wet fall weather and crops — University of Minnesota Extension — Heavy rain, saturated soil, and rivers above normal.
More on Farm disaster planning and recovery for livestock, crops, equipment and debris.
More on Horticulture practices in landscapes, trees, lawns, and shoreland.
Climatology
Minnesota Climatology Working Group — State Climatology Office, DNR Division of Ecological and Water Resources, and the University of Minnesota — Current climate conditions and latest weather developments.
Lakes, Rivers and Streams
- North Central River Forecast Center — National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office — Daily updated maps of observed and forecast conditions and precipitation.
- North Central River Forecast Center’s Quantified Precipitation Forecasts — National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office — Access areal-averaged and gridded graphical QPF products.
- Stream Flow Reports — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Weekly reports on stream flow conditions.
- WaterWatch (Minnesota) — U.S. Geological Service — Map of real-time Minnesota streamflow compared to historical streamflow.
- Lake Level Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Statewide lake levels.
Watershed and floodplain management
- Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts — 45 watershed districts partner in water protection and management.
Flood preparation
- Flood Preparedness and Response for NW Minnesota (1.9 MB PDF) University of Minnesota Extension — Families, communities, pets and more.
- Flooding in Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Stream flow, government sources, past and future floods, and more.
- Disaster Education – Flood Information — North Dakota State University Extension — Comprehensive links for homes, families and farms.
- Disaster Handbook Flood Chapter (653K PDF, 52 pages) University of Wisconsin Extension Service
- Floods and Flooding — Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) — Multistate effort to help citizens affected by disasters.
- Extension Responds - Flood — University of Wisconsin Extension — For homes and farms: flooding, safety, archives, and more.
- Flood — Federal Emergency Management Agency — Facts, solutions, online tools.
- NOAA’s National Weather Service and FEMA Offer Tips for Flood Safety Awareness Week (News release) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — Observing the fifth annual in 2009.
See also Prepare & Recover
