Floods

NO SIGNAL THE GUIDE Preparedness Guide

A flood can start in minutes or build over days. It's the most common natural disaster in the world, and also the most underestimated: most victims don't die from lack of warning, but from lack of a plan. This guide covers the essentials: before, during, and after. No filler. No signal, and you still know what to do.

1. ASSESS YOUR RISK

You don't need to live next to a river to be at risk. Where it rains, it can flood.

  • Identify whether your area is near rivers, coastlines, low-lying land, dams, or old drainage systems.
  • Check your municipality's or national civil protection authority's flood risk map.
  • Ask long-time neighbors whether the area has flooded before. Local memory is often more accurate than any map.
  • Know the two scenarios: flash flood (minutes to hours, the deadliest) and slow-rising flood (days, from sustained rain or river overflow).
  • Check whether your homeowner's insurance covers water damage. Most standard policies do NOT; you usually need separate flood coverage, and it can take weeks to take effect. Don't wait for the rainy season to get it.
  • Sign up for your local alert system (civil protection, municipal SMS, weather radio). Learn to tell apart the two levels almost every authority uses: watch/advisory (conditions could lead to flooding, stay alert) and warning/emergency (flooding is happening or imminent, act now).

2. BEFORE: HOW TO PREPARE

Family plan

  • Set a meeting point inside the neighborhood and another outside the risk zone, in case you can't return home.
  • Assign an out-of-town contact everyone in the family can call or text if separated. In emergencies, local calls tend to jam before long-distance ones do.
  • Practice the plan at least once a year, including children and older adults.
  • Include pets: carrier, leash, food, and up-to-date vaccinations.
  • Identify who in the family will need extra help evacuating: older adults, people with reduced mobility, infants, or people with medical conditions. Assign in advance who supports them.

Emergency kit (minimum 72 hours)

  • Water: 3 liters per person per day.
  • Non-perishable food that doesn't require cooking.
  • Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight and radio (don't rely on your phone).
  • Extra batteries or a solar charger.
  • First aid kit and regular medications.
  • Important documents in physical copy inside a waterproof bag, plus a digital backup stored outside the home (cloud or USB kept elsewhere).
  • Cash in small bills. No electricity means no card readers.
  • A change of clothes, closed-toe shoes, work gloves, and a whistle.
  • Hygiene items and, if needed, diapers or infant formula.

Protect your home

  • Clear gutters, drains, and storm drains near your home on a regular basis.
  • Move valuables, appliances, and chemicals to higher levels.
  • If you have a basement, install backflow valves and consider a sump pump with battery backup.
  • Keep sandbags or flood barriers ready if you live in a known risk zone.
  • Locate and physically mark the shutoffs for water, gas, and the main electrical switch. A flood is not the time to go looking for them.

3. EVACUATION PLAN

  • Identify at least two routes out of your neighborhood, in case one is blocked.
  • Mark the nearest high ground and official shelters on a physical map.
  • Keep a "go bag" separate from the rest of your kit: documents, medication, charger, cash, and a change of clothes per person.
  • Decide in advance who handles what when it's time to leave: pets, kids, kit, vehicle.
  • If you have a vehicle, keep the tank full during risk season. You won't know if fuel will be available afterward.
  • Agree on a simple signal with your family for deciding "we're leaving now" without having to debate it in the moment.
  • Download maps of your area and evacuation routes ahead of time for offline use, and write down emergency numbers and your out-of-town contact on paper. No signal, no battery, paper doesn't fail.

4. DURING THE FLOOD

Golden rule

Do not walk, swim, or drive through moving water. Six inches (15 cm) of water can knock you off your feet. Twelve inches (30 cm) can carry away a vehicle.

If you're at home

  • Shut off electricity and gas if water is rising and it's safe to do so.
  • Move to a higher level. Avoid sealing yourself into an attic with no roof access; you can get trapped by rising water.
  • Stay informed via battery-powered radio or official alerts.

If you're ordered to evacuate

  • Leave immediately. Don't wait to "see how it develops."
  • Never cross barricades. They're there because authorities have already determined the area isn't safe.
  • Follow the routes you planned, not whichever seems fastest in the moment.

If you're driving

  • Turn around at any flooded stretch of road. You can't judge the depth or the condition of the pavement underneath.
  • If your vehicle gets trapped and water is rising, get out and climb onto the roof. It's safer than staying inside.
  • Stay away from bridges over fast-moving water; they can collapse without warning.

If you're outdoors

  • Stay away from riverbanks, ravines, and low-lying areas.
  • Don't shelter under isolated trees or near metal structures or power poles.

Communication during the emergency

  • Use your phone only for essentials. Networks get overloaded, and lines need to stay open for people in real danger.
  • Don't share or repeat unconfirmed damage figures or rumors. Misinformation gets in the way of the official response.

5. AFTER THE FLOOD

Returning home

  • Go back only once authorities confirm it's safe.
  • Avoid driving except for emergencies; roads may be damaged or blocked.
  • Don't touch downed power lines or wet electrical equipment.
  • Before going inside, check from outside for visible cracks, sunken ground, or a compromised roof. If there's any doubt about the structure, wait for a professional inspection before living in it.

Water and food

  • Don't drink or cook with tap water until authorities confirm it's safe. Use bottled or boiled water.
  • Discard any food that came into contact with floodwater, including dented or swollen cans. When in doubt, throw it out.
  • Don't bathe in floodwater: it can carry sewage, chemicals, or live current from submerged cables.

Cleanup and health

  • Wear boots, gloves, goggles, and a mask while cleaning up.
  • Mold starts growing 24 to 48 hours after exposure to moisture. If you can't dry out the home within that window, assume there's mold and ventilate before spending long periods inside.
  • Wash any skin that came into contact with mud or floodwater with soap and water.
  • Watch for symptoms like fever, muscle pain, or diarrhea in the following days; they can signal infections spread through contaminated water (leptospirosis, for example). Seek medical care if they appear.
  • Don't touch dead animals. Report them to local authorities.
  • If you use a generator to restore power, run it outdoors only, away from doors and windows. Carbon monoxide is invisible, odorless, and can kill in minutes in enclosed spaces.

Communication and next steps

  • Let your out-of-town contact know you're safe as soon as you can.
  • Document damage with photos before you start cleaning, for the insurance claim.
  • Check in on your neighbors, especially older adults or people living alone.
  • It's normal to feel anxious, have trouble sleeping, or feel irritable after living through a flood. If it persists, seek professional support; it's not a sign of weakness, it's part of recovery.
  • Review your family plan based on what you learned, and update your kit for next season.

QUICK LIST — 72-HOUR KIT

  • Water (3 L / person / day)
  • Non-perishable food
  • Battery-powered radio and flashlight
  • Batteries / solar charger
  • First aid kit and medications
  • Documents in a waterproof bag + off-site digital backup
  • Cash in small bills
  • Clothes, closed-toe shoes, gloves, whistle
  • Personal hygiene items and baby supplies if needed
  • Pet kit (food, leash, vaccination records)

Urban Crisis Preparedness Guide

Modern cities are efficient and highly connected, but they also depend on complex systems that can fail at any moment. When this happens, most people don’t know how to react.

Power outages, internet disruptions, cyberattacks, or supply chain failures are no longer exceptional events, they are part of the real risks of urban life.

This guide helps you understand how crises unfold in the city and how to prepare in a practical, structured way, based on real situations and experience in Europe.

Why Cities Are Vulnerable

Cities depend on interconnected systems: electricity, digital communications, logistics networks, and constant access to information.
When one of these systems fails, the impact spreads quickly affecting mobility, communication, access to food, and essential services.

In recent years, several events across Europe have shown that these situations are not theoretical. They are already happening.

Common Urban Crisis Scenarios

Power outages affecting entire areas

Internet and communication disruptions

Cyberattacks on infrastructure

Misinformation during crisis situations

Supply and resource access problems

What Every Family Should Know How to Do

Stay informed without relying on a single source

Have basic resources available for several days

Communicate without internet access

Make decisions in uncertain situations

Protect children and vulnerable people

Preparedness in Europe: A Growing Priority

Across Europe, more governments and institutions are promoting citizen preparedness for emergencies.
Countries such as Germany and the Nordic nations have reinforced the importance of having basic resources and the ability to operate autonomously for at least 72 hours.

This reflects a clear reality: modern societies are efficient, but also vulnerable to disruptions.

Why Having a Plan Matters More Than Having Resources

Most people focus on what to buy, but few prepare to know what to do.
In a real situation, lack of clarity and poor decision, making can create more risk than the crisis itself.

Preparedness is not just about having resources, it’s about having a plan, structure, and the ability to act with sound judgment.

How to Build a Plan Before Something Happens

No Signal The Guide, offers a complete and compact citizen preparedness guide, providing a structured approach to urban crisis readiness.
Instead of reacting with improvisation, it helps you understand risks, organize your environment, and act with clarity when systems stop working.

Preparedness is not an extreme reaction. It’s a practical decision.

Start Preparing Before the Next Crisis Happens

Anticipating a crisis can make all the difference.
Download No Signal The Guide and build a clear, structured plan to protect your family and know what to do when you truly need it.