- Designate a household meeting spot and develop an emergency plan and kit with supplies for your home and car. If you are at work or school, follow the established safety protocols.
- Seal cracks in your home’s foundation, exterior home walls, and small openings around pipes.
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Prepare your home. Stop floodwater from entering your home with materials like plywood, plastic sheeting, and sandbags. FEMA's Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting: Six Ways to Prevent Your Home from Flooding
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Report concerns about City roads, sidewalks, storm drains to Public Works using the Cupertino 311 platform.
- Keep rain gutters and drainage channels free of debris. Tarp or seed unvegetated slopes on your property.
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Do not pollute, dump, or drain anything in creeks. Know your neighborhood streams and drainage channel locations.
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All new construction or substantial improvements within the City’s SFHA are subject to special requirements per the City’s Municipal Code Chapter 16.52.043. Property owners can also make physical alterations, such as elevating a structure, to reduce flood risks and flood insurance premiums.
- Contact the Cupertino Public Works Department at 408-777-3354 or engineering@cupertino.org to ensure compliance with code requirements.
- Contact the Cupertino Building Division at 408-777-3228 or permitcenter@cupertino.org to obtain a permit before you build.
- Learn how to turn off utilities at the main switches or valves. Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
DURING A FLOOD
- Be aware that flash flooding can occur. If a flood is imminent, avoid low-lying areas and seek shelter in the highest spot possible.
- If advised to evacuate, do so immediately. If you are at work or school, follow the established safety protocols. Evacuation is safer and easier before floodwaters become too deep. For more information, see www.ready.gov/evacuation.
- Moving water is dangerous. Six inches of moving water can cause a person to stumble or fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where it is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you and aid in balance.
- Don’t drive through standing water. Turn Around, Don’t Drown® — If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground. A foot of water will cause many vehicles to float. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles, including SUVs and pick-ups.
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Listen for news reports on whether the community's water supply is safe to drink.
- Stay away from downed power lines and report them to your power company. Do not attempt to turn on a gas meter if the service is disconnected. Contact your utility and or your local police department.
- Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits and leaching systems as soon as possible. Damaged sewage systems are serious health hazards.
- Clean and disinfect everything wet. Mud left from floodwater can contain sewage and chemicals.
- Any repairs or improvements greater than 50 percent of a structure’s value need to meet National Flood Insurance Program requirements.