Check current conditions: Use our live weather alerts by city and state for current NWS warnings, watches and advisories. Continue to follow local emergency instructions.
In immediate danger? Call 911 from a safe location. Leave a burning building, avoid floodwater and damaged power lines, and follow evacuation or shelter instructions from local officials. Do not delay protective action to finish reading.
Water Damage Advisor is an educational website. The restoration phone numbers and request forms elsewhere on this site cannot dispatch police, fire, rescue or emergency medical services.
This state-by-state emergency guide brings together official resources for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with practical steps for floods and other emergencies. Start with the hazard you face or choose your state for emergency information, preparedness resources and local contacts.
This is a preparedness and response guide, not a live alert feed. Check the date, affected area and instructions on the issuing agency’s notice. Local emergency orders, road closures and shelter availability can change quickly.
Find your state’s emergency resources
Open the state list and choose your location. Each entry links to an official state emergency resource. Where available, a second link takes you to a state-listed alert service, preparedness guide, local contact directory or evacuation resource.
Choose from all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Floods, flash floods, river flooding and dam or levee emergencies
During the emergency: Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Do not drive around barricades or use bridges over fast-moving water. Follow evacuation instructions immediately. A road you used earlier may no longer be passable.
If water traps you in a building, move to its highest level. Do not enter a closed attic where rising water could trap you. Go onto the roof only if necessary, then signal for help. Call 911 if you need rescue and give your location. Do not enter water to reach a breaker panel, collect belongings or attempt a rescue without the appropriate training and equipment.
Before a flood: Learn your evacuation routes and the flood risks around your home, work and travel routes. Keep documents and essential supplies ready to take. Use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, while remembering that flooding can occur outside mapped high-risk areas.
Afterward: Wait for reentry instructions. Floodwater may carry sewage, chemicals and debris, and may be electrically energized. Read flood damage cleanup and basement flooding precautions before pumping or cleaning. Source: Ready.gov flood guidance.
Hurricanes, tropical storms and storm surge
Before conditions deteriorate: Know your local evacuation zone, available routes and where you will stay. Leave when ordered. Arrange accessible transport, essential medications and a plan for pets before roads become unsafe. Complete shutters and other exterior preparations before dangerous wind or water arrives.
If sheltering is appropriate for your location: Use a small interior room away from windows in a sturdy building, on the lowest level that is not at risk of flooding. If floodwater rises, follow the flood guidance instead of staying on a threatened lower floor. Do not go outside during a calm period in the storm or return before local officials permit it.
Hurricane impacts can extend inland through rain, flooding, wind, tornadoes and outages. See hurricane damage and recovery. Source: FEMA’s protective actions guide.
Tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, lightning and hail
For a tornado: Go immediately to a safe room, storm shelter or small interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building, away from windows. Protect your head and neck. Plan an alternative if the lowest level could flood. Mobile homes are not safe tornado shelters, so identify and reach a sturdy shelter before the storm arrives.
For lightning or severe thunderstorms: Move into a sturdy building or an enclosed, hard-topped vehicle. Avoid open-sided shelters, isolated trees and exposed ground. Inside, avoid plumbing and plugged-in electrical equipment during lightning. Stay away from windows during wind and hail.
Do not go outdoors to watch a storm, inspect damage or move belongings while the threat continues. Avoid downed lines and damaged trees afterward. Source: FEMA’s tornado and thunderstorm guidance.
Wildfires and wildfire smoke
When told to evacuate: Leave promptly. Follow official routes and closures. Do not delay to defend the property, load extra belongings or take photographs. Plan more than one way out and transportation help before a warning becomes an immediate evacuation.
When smoke is the main threat and your location is not under an evacuation order: Follow local air-quality and public-health advice. Reduce smoke entering your home when it is safe to remain there. If you cannot maintain safe indoor conditions, follow officials’ advice about cleaner-air locations. An indoor smoke plan does not override a fire evacuation order.
Return only when authorities allow it. Hot spots, ash, damaged utilities and unstable structures can remain. Source: FEMA’s wildfire guidance.
House fires, gas leaks and carbon monoxide alarms
For a house fire: Get out and stay out. Crawl low beneath smoke if that is necessary to reach your exit. Do not open a hot door or a door with smoke coming around it. Use another escape route. Call 911 from outside and tell firefighters if someone or a pet is still inside. Do not reenter to retrieve them yourself.
If you cannot escape, close the door between you and the fire, call 911, give your exact location and signal from a window. Before an emergency, practice two ways out where possible and an outdoor meeting place.
If you smell gas, suspect a gas leak or a carbon monoxide alarm sounds: Move everyone outside to fresh air. For a carbon monoxide alarm or suspected poisoning, call 911 from outside. For a suspected gas leak, call 911 or your gas utility’s emergency line from a safe location. Do not operate switches, create a flame or search for the leak. Do not return until responders say it is safe.
After clearance, use our fire damage recovery guide. Sources: Ready.gov home fires and CDC reentry and gas precautions, and CPSC carbon monoxide precautions.
Power outages, downed lines and generator hazards
Use flashlights or battery lanterns. Check on people who depend on powered medical equipment, refrigerated medicines or temperature control. Follow the backup plan agreed with their clinician or equipment supplier. Relocate to an appropriate place with power if needed, and call 911 for an immediate medical emergency.
Use a generator only outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, with exhaust directed away from the home. Never use one in a garage, basement, porch or other enclosed or partly enclosed space, even with openings left open. Keep it dry and follow manufacturer instructions. Do not connect it to household wiring without an appropriate professionally installed transfer system. Never use a gas oven or grill to heat the home.
Keep away from downed lines and anything they touch, including water and fences. Report them to the utility or 911 as appropriate. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Consult food-safety guidance and your pharmacist about refrigerated products rather than guessing from their appearance or smell.
Sources: Ready.gov power outages and CDC generator and electrical precautions.
Winter storms, blizzards, ice and extreme cold
Follow travel advisories and avoid unnecessary trips. Prepare warm clothing, a car emergency kit and a communication plan before travel. If trapped in your car, stay inside and contact emergency help. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Do not run an engine with a blocked exhaust.
Use heating equipment as instructed and keep working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Do not use ovens, grills or indoor generators for heat. Ask local officials about an open warming center if your home cannot stay safely warm. Get urgent medical help for suspected hypothermia or serious cold injury.
After temperatures rise, watch for burst pipes from a safe location. Do not thaw plumbing with an open flame. Source: FEMA’s winter storm guidance and Ready.gov’s winter weather instructions.
Extreme heat and drought-related water restrictions
Use an air-conditioned location or a cooling center identified by local officials. Reduce strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day and check on people who may need help. Never leave a person or pet in a parked vehicle.
Confusion, collapse or suspected heat stroke is a medical emergency. Call 911 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions while moving the person out of the heat if you can do so safely. For ongoing drought, follow your water provider’s restrictions and official drinking-water notices.
Source: FEMA’s extreme heat guidance.
Earthquakes
During shaking: drop, cover and hold on. Protect your head and neck, using nearby sturdy furniture for cover if you can reach it without crossing debris. Do not run outside during the shaking. If in bed, stay there and protect your head and neck with a pillow. If driving, stop in a clear place away from overpasses, buildings and utility lines.
After shaking, expect aftershocks. Leave a damaged building if there is a safe way out, avoid elevators and do not reenter until it is cleared. In a tsunami-prone coastal area, move inland or to higher ground after strong or long shaking rather than waiting at the shore for an alert.
Source: FEMA’s earthquake and tsunami guidance.
Tsunamis and volcanic hazards
Tsunami: Follow local evacuation signs toward higher ground or inland. Natural warnings can include strong or long coastal shaking, a sudden change in ocean level or an unusual ocean roar. Do not go to the beach to look. Remain away until officials give the all-clear because more waves may follow.
Volcano: Follow local evacuation zones and instructions for ash, lava, gases and volcanic mudflows. Stay away from restricted areas and low-lying channels identified as hazardous. If officials direct you to shelter from ash, close outside openings and follow their respiratory-protection guidance. Do not treat staying indoors as an alternative to a required evacuation.
Source: FEMA’s tsunami and volcano guidance.
Landslides, debris flows and avalanches
For landslide or debris-flow warnings, leave threatened areas when directed. Stay out of drainage channels, ravines, steep-slope bases and other identified paths. Do not approach moving debris or return to inspect a slide because additional movement may follow.
For avalanche terrain, check the regional avalanche forecast, take appropriate training and avoid dangerous slopes. Carry and know how to use the recommended rescue equipment. A home preparedness checklist is not a substitute for avalanche training or local terrain expertise.
Source: FEMA’s landslide and avalanche guidance.
Chemical spills, industrial incidents and hazardous-material releases
Move away from a suspected release and do not investigate or touch spilled material. Follow officials’ incident-specific instructions about evacuation or sheltering. A hazard cannot always be detected by smell.
If directed to shelter indoors, bring people and pets inside, close doors and windows, and follow instructions about ventilation and the shelter room. If directed to evacuate, use the designated route. Do not drive into a chemical plume. Seek emergency help if exposed or having trouble breathing, and tell responders what you know about the material.
Do not assume an ordinary dust mask protects against gases, and do not improvise chemical neutralization or cleanup. Radiation incidents and public-health emergencies also require instructions specific to the event from the responsible authorities. Source: Ready.gov hazardous-material incident guidance.
Burst pipes, sewage backups, unsafe tap water and structural damage
For a plumbing leak, shut off the known water-supply valve only if you know how and can reach it without electrical, structural or water hazards. A supply shutoff does not stop sewage entering through a drain. Stop using affected plumbing and contact the appropriate plumber, sewer utility or property manager.
Keep people away from sewage, sagging ceilings, unstable floors and water near electrical equipment. Do not enter standing water to turn power off. Ask the utility, electrician or emergency responders to make the area safe. Do not operate fans where contamination is unresolved.
Follow your water provider or health department’s exact notice. A boil-water advisory is different from a do-not-drink or do-not-use notice. Boiling does not remove every contaminant. Use an approved safe supply until officials clear the water.
Read water damage emergency steps, sewage cleanup precautions and structural damage warning signs. Sources: CDC flooded-home safety guidance and CDC emergency drinking-water guidance.
Find reliable alerts, evacuation orders and shelters
- Use more than one warning source. Keep government emergency alerts enabled on compatible phones, sign up for local notifications and have a battery-powered radio or NOAA Weather Radio available. Cell service and power can fail.
- Check your exact location. A warning may cover a county, city, evacuation zone or a smaller area. Read the instructions and expiration or update time.
- Get shelter information from the issuing agency. Confirm that a shelter is open, how to reach it, and whether it can meet mobility, medical, service-animal or pet needs. A building listed as a possible shelter may not be activated.
- Follow official road closures. A navigation app may route you toward a road that is flooded, blocked or under an evacuation restriction.
- Use local and tribal instructions. State agencies coordinate statewide information, but county, city and tribal authorities often issue the orders that apply to your address.
See Ready.gov’s explanation of emergency alerts and the National Weather Service for weather information. Do not use a restoration contractor’s website as a source of evacuation clearance.
State-by-state emergency management directory
These official starting points cover all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. The supplemental links have different purposes, identified in their labels. An administrative office or contact page is not an emergency dispatch service. For territories and other jurisdictions, use the USAGov emergency management directory.
State agency destinations were checked November 12, 2026. Government sites and alert systems may change. If a link is unavailable, use the USAGov directory or your local government’s official website. This directory does not reproduce current evacuation orders or guarantee shelter availability.
Prepare a household plan before an emergency
- Plan both evacuation and sheltering. Identify more than one route, a meeting place and an out-of-area contact. Plan for the hazards that apply to your address and the places you visit.
- Prepare supplies for several days. Include drinking water, food that does not require cooking, medicines, flashlights, batteries, radio, chargers, first-aid supplies, hygiene items, clothing and copies of key documents. Follow any longer supply recommendation from your local agency.
- Plan for individual needs. Include children, older adults, disabilities, language needs, medical equipment, refrigerated medicine, service animals and pets. Ask providers and local officials about support before an incident.
- Know utility controls. Learn the safe, property-specific procedure from the utility or a qualified professional beforehand. Do not learn it by entering a dangerous area during an emergency.
- Keep a private contact sheet. Record emergency services, local alerts, utility outage lines, property management, insurance, family contacts and a destination. Keep sensitive account numbers in secure records.
- Practice and refresh the plan. Check batteries and supplies, update contact details and make sure household members know where to meet.
Use FEMA’s household planning guide and your state’s preparedness resources to adapt the plan. You can print this page or save it as a PDF before an outage. Printed copies do not provide live alerts.
Return home and begin recovery safely
Wait for official reentry clearance. A neighborhood reopening does not establish that an individual damaged building is safe. Keep out if you see structural damage, smell gas, find standing water around electrical systems or encounter an unresolved contamination hazard.
- Have hazards assessed first. Use the appropriate utility, electrician, building official, fire department or qualified professional. Do not reconnect damaged utilities yourself.
- Document only from a safe place. Record observations, photo references, calls and expenses in the water damage incident log. Do not delay necessary medical care or evacuation to collect evidence.
- Report damage promptly. Contact your property manager and insurer as appropriate. Ask what records and protective actions they need. Review our water damage claims guide and flood insurance claims guide.
- Plan cleanup around the actual hazards. Floodwater, sewage, fire residue and damaged materials require different precautions. Start with flood cleanup, fire recovery or storm recovery.
- Compare written work proposals. Use the restoration quote comparison worksheet. Confirm scope, exclusions, payment terms and change approvals without letting urgency replace a clear agreement.
Sources: CDC reentry safety and FEMA disaster recovery guidance.
Sources and guide maintenance
Prepared by Water Damage Advisor using official government resources. Sources inform the guide but do not endorse this site. This page is not an emergency-response agency, live incident map or professional assessment of your property.
Source links checked November 12, 2026. For a correction or a changed official destination, use our contact page. For an active emergency, use emergency services and official alerts instead.