Real-World Story: Flooded and Isolated

GoBag.One™ | GoBag or Stay Home™

Floods don’t ask permission. Ours came up from the creek, crossed the road, and turned the neighborhood into islands. The power stayed, then blinked. Cell bars lied, then died. We weren’t in danger—yet. We were isolated. That’s when the GoBag mindset shifts from “leave now” to “hold smart.”

Key Takeaways

• Water changes routes first, utilities second: Your plan needs alternate routes and paper maps before the rain.
• Contamination is the hidden threat: Treat every drop—tap, well, or puddle—as suspect until proven safe.
• “Isolated” is a logistics problem: Food, meds, and comms discipline turn days of water on the roads into a boring story later.

Main Points

0:00 — The Crossing Disappears
Morning rain stacked on last night’s storm. By noon, the low crossing was gone—brown water over stripes. We ran the Go/Stay matrix: threat moderate, time unknown, people fine, routes closed, comms fading. Decision: Stay. We staged accordingly.

+1 Hr — Water & Power Check
Tap ran but smelled like dirt. We switched to stored drinking water and set up treatment as if the tap was surface water. Filled a tub for wash water in case pressure died. Charged everything to 100% while the grid still behaved.

+3 Hrs — Comms Shrink
Phones went from spotty to “maybe texts.” AM/FM/NOAA radio carried the load. We set an hourly check window and wrote it on the status board with water use and meal plan. Neighbors on the high side got the same plan by shoe-leather messenger when the rain eased.

+6 Hrs — Hygiene & Food Discipline
Floods bring germs. Shoes stayed by the door; bleach wipes at the entry. No open-air cooking—everything lidded. We ran low-fuel meals and set a “boil once, thermos twice” hot drink rule to stretch canisters. Trash sealed tight; flood stink draws animals.

+12 Hrs — Night Operations
Headlamps on moonlight mode, one lantern in the kitchen. We kept windows covered to avoid advertising. Kids stayed busy with a card rotation and a “quiet jobs list” (water check, pet check, battery tally). Nobody paced; everyone had a role.

+24–48 Hrs — Waiting Without Wasting
We rotated water treatment: one liter by filter, one by tabs (full wait time), one by boil when fuel allowed. Labeled every bottle with method/time. We logged road updates off the radio and from a neighbor with a lifted truck doing safe recon at low water. When the crossing dropped below the curb, we planned a single resupply run—broad daylight, two people, return window set, neighbors briefed.

Pro Tips

• Assume the tap is dirty: Floods push sewage into supply lines. Treat tap water like surface water until utilities say otherwise.
• Mark the waterline: Take photos and note times as the flood rises/falls. It helps neighbors and insurance later.
• Route sanity: Two alternates minimum on paper. Low-water crossings and underpasses are last resorts even when they “look shallow.”
• Foot care: Rotate dry socks, keep a bleach solution for soles, and don’t wade unless you must—hidden debris and live wires aren’t movie props.
• One trip, all tasks: When roads reopen, make a single, planned run with a list, cash, and radios. In and out—no sightseeing.

Related Links

Ops Challenge: Water Hunt — Purify Three Ways • GoBag or Stay Home™? Making the Call • Evacuation Planner – Move Fast, Move Smart

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