How do you find out your flood risk?
Start with your county emergency management office and your local floodplain administrator, who can tell you whether your land or buildings sit in a mapped flood zone. FEMA publishes flood maps, and Ready.gov explains how to prepare. Maps are a guide, not a guarantee, since heavy rain can flood areas outside mapped zones.
Walk your property and learn where water goes in a hard rain: low pastures, creek crossings, culverts, ditches and driveways. Ask older neighbors about past floods.
- Ask the county about flood maps and warnings
- Mark low spots and crossings that cut you off
- Check culverts and ditches before storm season
- Sign up for local emergency alerts
How do you plan for people and animals?
Decide where your household goes, which route you will take, and when you will leave. Roads often close fast, so leave early rather than late. Make a plan for every animal, including where it will be moved, how it will be transported and who helps. Livestock may need higher ground, a trailer or an agreed place with a neighbor. Identification such as tags, brands or photos helps reunite animals if they get separated.
Pet and livestock sheltering options vary by county. Ask your emergency management office and extension office about what they offer.
What should you move or secure?
Fuel tanks, pesticides, fertilizers, veterinary supplies and other chemicals are a particular hazard if floodwater carries them across land or into a well. Store them high and secure them well before water rises. Anchor propane tanks and large containers, and know how to shut off utilities safely.
Move equipment to higher ground when you can, and photograph everything for insurance records. Keep copies of important papers in a waterproof container or digital backup.
Make a short checklist and tape it inside a barn door so anyone helping can follow it without asking. Practice moving animals and equipment once in calm weather so you know how long it really takes.
- Elevate or anchor fuel and chemical storage
- Know where your electrical shutoff is and when to use it
- Move tractors, trailers and vehicles to high ground
- Photograph buildings, equipment and stock
What about your well, septic and feed?
Floodwater can contaminate wells and overwhelm septic systems. Learn in advance what your county health department says about testing and disinfecting after a flood. EPA has pages on private wells and septic systems. Store feed and hay above likely water levels, because wet feed can mold and spoil.
Do not rely on memory for technical steps. Ask the county health office before you use water from a flooded well.
What should be in your emergency kit?
Keep a kit that can serve for several days: drinking water, nonperishable food, medications, flashlight and batteries, a battery or crank radio, first aid supplies, copies of documents, phone chargers and cash. Add animal supplies such as feed, water, medications and handling gear.
Ready.gov has checklists you can adapt. Review the kit each season and replace items that expire.
Which financial steps help before a flood?
Talk to your insurance agent about what is and is not covered. Standard property policies often do not cover flood damage, and separate flood coverage can have waiting periods, so ask early. The local USDA Farm Service Agency office can explain disaster programs and records that help later claims.
This article is general information, not financial or legal advice. A licensed agent or advisor can help you with your own situation.
Also consider a neighbor pact: agree who will check on whom, who has a trailer, and who has high ground to share. Rural help often comes from the next farm over, long before official aid arrives.
How do you keep the plan alive?
Write the plan, share it with everyone on the farm, and practice it once a year. Review after every storm, adjust routes and update contacts. A plan that lives in one person's head is not much use if that person is away.
Check weather alerts from the National Weather Service during wet seasons, and treat a flood watch as the signal to start moving things, not a flood warning.
Key takeaways
- Know your flood risk by asking the county and walking your land in heavy rain.
- Decide early where people and animals will go and leave before roads close.
- Move fuel, chemicals and equipment high; check wells and septic guidance with the health office.
- Ask an insurance agent about flood coverage before the season, since waiting periods may apply.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Rural Farm Life Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.