When in doubt, throw it out. Don't risk injury or infection. 2: Ask for help. Many people can do a lot of the cleanup and repairs discussed in this book. But if you have technical questions or do not feel comfortable doing something, get professional help. If there is a federal disaster declaration, a telephone "hotline" will often be publicized to provide information about public, private, and voluntary agency programs to help you recover from the flood. Government disaster programs are there to help you, the taxpayer. You're paying for them; check them out. 3: Floodproof. It is very likely that your home will be flooded again someday. Floodproofing means using materials and practices that will prevent or minimize flood damage in the future. Many floodproofing techniques are inexpensive or can be easily incorporated into your rebuilding program. You can save a lot of money by floodproofing as you repair and rebuild (see Step 8).

This report describes the activities, procedures, and other factors which make up a local flood warning and preparedness program. The program can be divided into four major elements: flood recognition system; warning arrangements; preparedness plan; and arrangements for maintenance of the program. The program is credited with saving scores of lives and preventing millions of dollars of damage. Successful implementation of flood warning systems may result in saving lives and reduction in flood damages. (Author).

Accompanying CD-ROM contains additional supporting materials, sample electronic slide presentations, and other resources.