• Donate money to the American Red Cross
• Put your unused leave to good use
• Donate blood to the American Red Cross, too
• Donate unwanted items such as clothing, blankets, bedding, and so on to the Salvation Army
• Donate bottled beverages, soap, shampoo, etc. to a local church.
• If you’re a spiritual person, include the flood victims in your prayers.
• Consider National Guard usage when you vote - or get politically involved.
• Real key: just find what you have on hand and can easily give.

via thesimpledollar.com

message from the Monroe County Humane Association:

• donate dry cat food, non-clumping cat litter and bottled water
• Take the time to educate yourself and prepare your pets in the event of an emergency. Proper planning ahead could make all the difference for the safety of your pet.

Visit the MCHA Flood Disaster Page to find out what to do if you are affected by the floods

• Do not use electrical appliances that have been wet. Water can damage the motors in electrical appliances, such as furnaces, freezers, refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers.
• When using a "wet-dry vacuum cleaner," be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions to avoid electric shock.

• To prevent a gas explosion and fire, have gas appliances (natural gas and LP gas) inspected and cleaned after flooding.

• Check to make sure your smoke detector is functioning.

• Gasoline is made to explode!

• Chain saws can cause serious injuries

• When cleaning up from a flood, store medicines and chemicals away from young children.

• Poisonings can happen when young children swallow medicines and household chemicals.

• Burning charcoal gives off carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide has no odor and can kill you. Never burn charcoal inside homes, tents, campers, vans, cars, trucks, garages, or mobile homes.

 via cpsc.gov

• A flood victim’s first step should be to call his or her insurance agent who handles flood claims.
• Make sure to take photos of all property damage.
• Make a list of lost or damaged items and provide their age, value and a receipt to the adjuster, if possible.
• This claim includes a complete and detailed estimate of repairs and damages to the property.
• Cleaning up after a flood is important to prevent further damage. Before entering the home or property, make sure the electricity is turned off until a professional has inspected it.
• Remember that hidden in the flood waters could be animal wastes, chemicals and sewage therefore it is important to use proper protection such as gloves or masks while cleaning.
• Mold can begin to form 24 to 48 hours after a flood. Remove all wet contents such as carpeting, furniture, bedding and any other items that are holding water as soon as possible.
• If an item has been wet for less than 48 hours, help to control mold growth by cleaning the surface with a pine-oil cleaner, non-ammonia detergent or commercial soap and disinfecting it with a 10 percent bleach solution.
• Drying out the building’s interior can help speed up the cleaning process.
• If walls are damaged, take photographs of the baseboard, and then remove it.
• Make sure to check furnaces and water heaters for damage. Although the water heater may work, if flood waters covered the entire tank there could be damage to the insulation that must be repaired.
• Contact your local building inspections or planning office or county clerk’s office to get more information on local building requirements before repairing your structure. If you can’t find a local contact, call your state National Flood Insurance Program coordinator. Contact information may be found at www.floods.org/statepocs/stcoor.asp.