Many natural disasters give you little or no warning, but flooding is usually forecast, giving farmers time to think about contingency plans and take action. Your specific plan of action will vary by the type of livestock operation, but there are many common questions to address.
- Where can I take livestock that is safe from
floodwaters?
- How will I move livestock?
- Where will I secure enough trucks/trailers to
move livestock in a timely fashion?
- Who will be available to help? Might they have
their own livestock to move?
- Is there appropriate shelter and fencing at the
temporary site?
- Is there feed at the site or will I have to haul
feed there?
- How will I move feed?
- When should I move feed?
- How much feed will I need?
- Do I need to move implements and feeding
equipment?
- Where will I access fuel for implements?
- If my usual source of commercial feed is unable
to deliver feed, what alternative sources do I have?
- If I have to reduce feeding amounts to stretch
the supply, how will I ration it out?
- What about bedding material?
- Is there adequate water on the site?
- Are there adequate water fountains or tanks?
- If I am able to stay in my home, will I be able
to get to the livestock location?
If you are able to leave your stock at home but the power goes off for hours or even days because of flooding:
- How will you water your livestock?
- How will you provide ventilation for your stock?
- How will you milk the cows?
- How will you cool the milk?
- How will you get the milk into a tanker and off
to market?
- How long can you store milk on the farm before
you have to dump some of it?
- If the road washes out or is blocked, how can you
get milk out?
- If you have an emergency power generator, will it
start when you need it?
- How long can your generator run continuously?
- How is the generator fueled and can you keep it
supplied?
- If injured livestock needs to be euthanized, how
will you do it?
- How and where will you dispose of mortalities?
- If your labor force is disrupted, where can you
find the help to get the work done?
- Have you considered whether you would
re-establish the business you now have if it entirely disappeared to a
natural disaster?
You probably don't have answers to all those questions right now, but start thinking about them. Engage the innovative thinking of the rest of your family and the people who are part of your farming operation
Planning ahead of spring flooding will help reduce the need to make hasty decisions under a stressful situation and assure that whatever decision is made will best fit the needs of the family and farm operation for the years ahead.
Additional Resources
Citizens can access the most up-to-date information on flood preparation by visiting Extension’s website at www.extension.umn.edu/flood. Information about recovering from floods will be added as it becomes relevant.
Also available are Extension’s toll free phone services, the Flood Information Line (1-800-232-9077) and the AnswerLine (1-800-854-1678). Extension’s Flood Information Line is a resource for questions about water, crops, horticulture and climatology issues. Extension’s AnswerLine provides answers to household and family-oriented questions, such as cleaning, mildew, and food safety issues.
