WHAT TO DO WHEN WATER SURGES

California is a state prone to flooding. Over the past 60 years, more than 30 major floods have occurred, claiming more than 300 lives.

While some spots expect high water, such as along Sonoma County’s Russian River where residents buy kayaks and build their homes on stilts, other places are far less prepared. Flooding came as a surprise for many of the 14,000 San Jose residents forced to evacuate near the city’s Coyote Creek during the wet winter of 2016-17.

Scientists say that, as sea levels rise and storms pack more moisture with atmospheric warming, the risk of dangerous floods is on the rise. The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that 1 in 5 Californians, and more than $580 billion of property, remain vulnerable to a flooding disaster.

Should you get caught in a flood, here’s what to do:

 Seek high ground — with an emergency kit if you have one.

 If time allows, secure your home before leaving. Move valuables upstairs or to higher areas, disconnect electrical appliances, tie down outside furniture and seal basement vents.

 Consult a reliable weather source, such as a weather radio or www.weather.gov, about safe places to go and safe ways to get there.

 Do not walk or drive through floodwater. Most flood-related drownings occur when someone drives into high water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The second leading cause of drownings is walking into high water. Turn around and go the other way.  Should your vehicle stall out, leave it. Don’t wait on the roof and become fodder for the nightly news broadcast — or worse. However, if the water is rushing, and you have a sense that you’ll be swept away, stay put.

Michael Macor / The Chronicle 2017 Water is released down the Lake Oroville spillway into the Feather River during a 2017 crisis at the Oroville Dam.