Myth files

Myth

Wait until the danger is visible before leaving.

Fact

If officials order an evacuation, leave promptly. Roads, bridges and tunnels degrade fast, and late departures are the ones that get stranded.

Why this myth is risky

Conditions can worsen before they look obviously dangerous, and evacuation routes get slower the longer everyone waits together and leaves at the same time.

Do this instead

Leave promptly once officials issue an evacuation order for your zone — don't wait to see the danger yourself first.

Myth

A generator is safe in a garage with the door open.

Fact

Carbon monoxide accumulates in attached and partially open spaces. Generators must run outdoors, well away from doors, windows and vents.

Why this myth is risky

Carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless, builds up quickly in attached or partially enclosed spaces, and can be fatal before anyone notices symptoms.

Do this instead

Run generators outdoors only, well away from doors, windows and vents, and keep working carbon monoxide alarms in the home.

Myth

Driving through floodwater saves time.

Fact

Turn around, don't drown. Depth, current and whether the road is still under the water are impossible to judge from a driver's seat.

Why this myth is risky

As little as six inches of moving water can stall a car, and about a foot can float most vehicles — the road surface underneath may already be washed out.

Do this instead

Turn around and find another route, or wait, even if the water looks shallow.

Myth

Social media is always the fastest reliable source.

Fact

It is often fast and often wrong. Confirm with Wireless Emergency Alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, and official municipal and state accounts before acting or resharing.

Why this myth is risky

Unverified posts spread faster than corrections, and acting on — or resharing — a wrong claim during an emergency can send people toward the wrong decision at the worst time.

Do this instead

Confirm anything urgent with Wireless Emergency Alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, or an official municipal or state account before acting or resharing.

Myth

A three-day kit solves every emergency.

Fact

Three days is a starting point. Regional storms can disrupt power, water and deliveries for longer, so build toward seven to fourteen days where you can.

Why this myth is risky

A storm that disrupts power, water and deliveries for longer than three days can leave a 72-hour-only kit empty right when help is hardest to reach.

Do this instead

Build toward seven to fourteen days of supplies where your household can, using the kit builder's longer horizons.

Myth

My neighborhood didn't flood last time, so it won't flood.

Fact

Flood extent changes with storm track, tide timing and rainfall. Check your official evacuation zone and current forecasts each event.

Why this myth is risky

Flood extent shifts with storm track, tide timing and rainfall, so one neighborhood's history from a past event says little about the next one.

Do this instead

Check your official evacuation zone and the current forecast before every event.

Myth

Tap water is unsafe any time a storm or outage hits.

Fact

Tap water generally stays safe unless your water utility or local health department has issued a boil-water or do-not-drink notice — check for an official notice rather than assuming the worst.

Why this myth is risky

Assuming tap water is always unsafe can mean draining bottled-water reserves unnecessarily, or missing genuinely safe water during a longer outage.

Do this instead

Check your water utility or local health department for an active advisory before switching entirely to bottled or boiled water.

Myth

A boil-water advisory only means don't drink straight from the tap.

Fact

An active boil-water advisory covers cooking, brushing teeth, washing produce, making ice and preparing baby formula too. Bring water to a rolling boil for one minute (three minutes above 6,500 feet), or use bottled or properly treated water, for all of it until officials lift the advisory.

Why this myth is risky

Using un-boiled tap water for cooking, ice or baby formula during an advisory carries the same contamination risk as drinking it — appearance and taste don't indicate safety.

Do this instead

Boil or treat water for every use covered by the advisory, not just drinking, until it's officially lifted.

Myth

There's time to grab important documents on the way out during an evacuation.

Fact

Evacuations move fast and stressfully — the wrong time to search for scattered paperwork. Gathering financial, insurance and medical records is something to do well in advance, not during the rush to leave.

Why this myth is risky

Documents left behind or lost during a fast evacuation can slow down insurance claims, medical care and recovery for weeks or months afterward.

Do this instead

Assemble copies of IDs, insurance and medical records in a waterproof, portable container now, before an evacuation is ever called.

Myth

Any emergency shelter will take my pets.

Fact

Many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets. Identify pet-friendly shelters, hotels or a trusted contact before an emergency, and evacuate pets along with the rest of the household.

Why this myth is risky

Discovering at the shelter door that pets aren't allowed can force an impossible choice, or lead someone to leave a pet behind rather than miss the evacuation window.

Do this instead

Research pet-friendly shelter and lodging options for your area in advance, as part of your household plan.

Myth

Food that was in the fridge or freezer is fine once the power comes back.

Fact

Time and temperature — not whether the power is back — determine safety. Refrigerated food is unsafe after four hours above 40°F, and food should only be refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or reads at or below 40°F.

Why this myth is risky

Judging food safety by whether the power is back on, rather than by how long it was actually warm, can mean eating spoiled food that shows no obvious signs of it.

Do this instead

Track how long the power was out and apply the four-hour/40°F rule before eating or refreezing anything.