Triage Household Hazards Safely After Flood Re-entry

  1. Confirm local re-entry authorization remains in effect
    15 min

    When this applies: you are considering traveling to the address after a flood. Check again the morning you plan to go — an earlier all-clear can be lifted for new road closures, utility work, or structural concerns on your block.

    Do not rely on water level seen from a distance, a neighbor’s return, or a social-media post. Only the city or county emergency-management authority for your address can authorize re-entry for that location.

    Verify and record before you leave:

    • Check the official source for your address: county or city emergency-management website, alert system, or recorded phone line. Save the page or message.
    • Call the non-emergency number if the status is unclear and ask: is re-entry still authorized for my street and address today, and are there route restrictions?
    • Note on paper or phone: date, time, source name, how authorization was given, planned route, and planned arrival time.
    • Pack battery-powered flashlights or lanterns, not candles, matches, or lighters. You will need them for the first entry even in daylight.