What to Do After a Storm or Natural Disaster to Stay Safe

03/24/2023

Damage to your home can have a significant impact on you, your family, and your friends. It's best to have a plan for how to re-enter your home safely before a hurricane, tornado, flood, or other storm strikes.

The greatest threat to personal safety exists during a storm and in the immediate aftermath. Use this checklist for what to do after the storm to minimize potential harm.

Stay up-to-date.

• Monitor weather conditions, damage updates, and announcements from local authorities concerning the affected area, medical aid, and other forms of assistance, such as food, water, and shelter.

Return safely after evacuation.

• Return to the area only when authorities say it is safe to do so.
• Communicate with family and friends about your travel plans and alert them upon arrival.
• Expect and prepare for disruptions to daily activities.

Consider access to your home.

• Follow the guidance of local authorities to determine if it is safe to access your home.
• Plan and follow a safe route. Avoid driving as roads may be blocked, power lines could be down, and people may be trapped and in need of assistance.
• Carry current identification, as you may have to pass through checkpoints before getting access to your home or neighborhood.

Follow health and safety guidelines.

• Familiarize yourself with where to access medical aid, how to maintain health, and how to identify safety issues after a disaster.
• Tell local authorities about any health and safety issues, including chemical spills, deceased animals, downed power lines, smoldering insulation, and washed-out roads.
• Maintain your health, and be aware of exhaustion by setting priorities, pacing yourself and taking breaks. Don’t try to do too much at once.
• Drink plenty of water, and eat well.
• Wear sturdy work boots and gloves when removing debris, and wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

Follow first aid protocol.

• Administer first aid and seek medical attention for injured people. Don’t move them unless they are in immediate danger of death or further injury.
• Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if injured people aren’t breathing or don’t have a pulse. Clear their airway and begin chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
• Maintain their body temperature with blankets, but ensure they don’t become overheated. Never give liquids to an unconscious person.

Keep these other tips in mind.

• Never walk or drive on flooded roads or through flood waters. Flooded areas may contain dangerous debris and be electrically charged. Don’t allow children near high water, storm drains, or ditches. Check out Turn Around Don’t Drown!® for more information.
• Avoid sight-seeing or entering a storm-ravaged area unnecessarily. You could be mistaken for a looter.
• Avoid downed or unstable trees, poles, and power lines that may be live with electricity. Stay away from metal objects near downed lines, and immediately report them to your power or utility company.
• Don’t use matches until all gas lines are checked for leaks. In the case of a power outage, keep flashlights and batteries in your disaster kit.
• Avoid injury from debris, contaminated water, carbon monoxide poisoning, and electrocution. Use caution inside damaged buildings and infrastructure. Seek professional inspection of structures that have been flooded before entering.

More Resources

• FEMA Ready. Health & Safety Guidelines.