Michael Petruccelli says: Recognize that your hot water heater contains 50 to 75 gallons of fresh drinking water. The water in a hot water tank can keep one person alive and healthy for more than a month.
Attach a garden hose to the drain
valve. Run water out of the tank to remove any built up sediment that has
collected at the bottom of the tank.
To get the water out of the tank
after a storm you will need to open the plumbing system by opening any hot
water faucet in the house. This will release the vacuum in the tank. You must
turn off the electrical breaker to the hot water tank or unplug it to prevent
damage if the electricity is restored before water service.
