What could people do to make themselves safer from floods?

Answer 1

Personal actions: 1) not live in areas prone to floods failing #1... 2) study the flood levels associated with their area and make plans for evacuation or access to the nearest higher ground 3) have in storage someplace accessible during a flood (ie, not the basement) shelf-stable food (tinned food, dried food, sealed properly) and water available for twice the number of household occupants for three days. 4) Have plans for family pets as well as family 5) have disaster insurance Community actions: 1) have evacuation routes & assembly points pre-chosen by a qualified city planner, and clearly marked with signs 2) Have an early warning system in place to alert people to the possibility of flooding in their area 3) have recovery funds set aside 4) Have a command point pre-chosen for local officials with redundant flood-safe communications lines; have a chain of command firmly established and specific tasks for everyone. 5) Have radio communications in place with all first responders , and a chain of command to report on issues 6) post flood water level markers alongside roads to indicate the level of the water, showing if it's safe to drive or not (cheap and easy) 7) Communicate with all communities to establish where assembly points are for personnel evacuation 8) have an accurate census of your area of authority so you know exactly how many resources you'll need pre-building actions: 1) build a drainage system capable of handling flood overflow 2) build a dam system capable of handling water further op the water system feeding the flood prone area