The first week after
More people are hurt after a storm than during it. This is how to stay safe, protect your claim, and get help without waiting in the wrong line.
The one thingRun a generator only outdoors, at least 20 feet from any window, door, or vent, and never in a garage, even with the door open. Carbon monoxide is odorless and kills quickly.
Stay safe
- Treat every downed power line as live. Stay out of water near one, and report it to your utility.
- Do not drive or walk through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down; a foot can float a car.
- Use a chainsaw only if you have been trained, and never alone. Wear eye, ear, and leg protection.
- Heat is the hidden danger: drink water, rest in shade, and check on anyone elderly or alone.
- Install battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms if you are running a generator.
Water and food
- Follow any boil-water notice from your county or water utility. When in doubt, use bottled water.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed. Food in a closed refrigerator stays safe for about four hours without power; a full freezer for about two days.
- Throw out food that touched floodwater, and anything that has been above 40°F for more than two hours. When in doubt, throw it out.
- If you have a well that flooded, do not drink from it until it has been disinfected and tested.
Your home
- Photograph and video all damage before you clean or throw anything away, then call your insurer.
- Stop more damage if you can do it safely: a tarp on the roof, wet carpet and drywall out. Keep receipts.
- Mold starts within a day or two. Dry the house as fast as you can, and wear an N95 mask and gloves when cleaning.
- Muck-out and debris help is free from volunteer members in many counties. Call 211 or check your county page.
Contractors and scams
- Do not sign anything with someone who knocks on your door.
- Check that a contractor is licensed at myfloridalicense.com, and get a written estimate.
- Never pay the whole job up front, and never pay in cash.
- FEMA and Florida VOAD members never charge for help or for registering. Anyone who asks for money to get you aid is not legitimate.
- Report suspected fraud to the Florida Attorney General's office.
Getting help
- Call 211 for food, water, shelter, and recovery help, any time.
- Register with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362 when a federal declaration covers your county.
- Disaster recovery centers open in hard-hit counties; your county emergency management office announces where.
- If you still have needs once insurance and FEMA are done, the long-term recovery group in your county can help. It is on your county page.
- It is normal to feel overwhelmed. The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is free and open around the clock.
For official instructions, follow your county emergency management office and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. This guide is general guidance from Florida VOAD's member organizations and does not replace local orders.