Flood Safety & Response

The following common sense guidelines can help you stay safe during a flood:

• Stay informed - Listen to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio, or local television and radio for information related to flooding. For the Chippewa and Mississippi Rivers, the best source of information is going to be the NOAA websites for each respective river gauge. Pepin County will send out generalized flood alerts when significant flood events are imminent; we have turned off the automatic NWS flood alerts for riverine flooding due to the frequency and timing of the alerts. Flash flood warnings will continue to be automatically rebroadcast via Nixle.
• Have a plan to evacuate before floodwaters become unsafe or access to dryland is compromised. 
• If you have time, disconnect utilities and appliances.
• Don’t walk through flood waters. Water may be deeper than it appears and can hide hazards such as sharp objects, electrical wires, chemicals, etc.
• If driving - Turn around, don’t drown – never drive through flooded roadways.
  • Six inches of fast-moving water can knock a person off their feet.
  • A foot of rushing water can carry away a small car, while two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles.
  • Six inches of water can also reach the bottom of most passenger vehicles, causing them to stall.
  • If your vehicle stalls, abandon it immediately and get to higher ground.
  • Stay off bridges over fast-moving water. Fast-moving water can wash bridges away without warning.
  • If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay in the vehicle. If the water is rising inside the vehicle, seek refuge on the roof.