All floods can be devastating, but flash floods are particularly treacherous. Flash floods can happen without warning, giving people little time to prepare. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, a flash flood is a rapid rise of water along a stream or low-lying area. It usually results from heavy rainfall that causes rivers and [...]
Sign Up for Information Before Floods Occur
How will you get information if your home or community is threatened with severe weather or flooding? This is something to plan for before emergencies arise. Here are a few ideas on where to get up-to-the-minute information of floods, severe weather and other threats. Take the time to bookmark, subscribe, download or follow these information [...]
Flood Safety Awareness Week: Does Your Family Have a Plan?
March 12-17 was National Flood Safety Awareness Week. During this week, government and emergency response organizations draw attention to flood hazards and encourage people to take steps now to minimize the impact of future floods. One of the best ways to protect your family during a flood is to have a family emergency plan. It’s [...]
Kids and Flood Preparation
Flooding and other disasters aren’t just an adult problem – they affect children too. As with all emergencies, the best approach is to involve children (at an age appropriate level) in getting prepared. There are many resources available online to help children and their families prepare for an emergency, such as flooding. FEMA’s Ready Kids [...]
Elevating Your Home Above Flood Levels
You love your home, and you want to stay in your current location. So what do you do when rising river levels put your home in jeopardy? Homeowners living along some stretches of the Chesapeake and Mississippi rivers are asking themselves this question. For some, the best solution is to mitigate flood damage by elevating [...]
Flooding and Your Pet
Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for pets to get left behind during natural disasters. According to some reports, 1000 pets were euthanized in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. With hurricane season approaching, FEMA is reminding people to include their pets in their hurricane evacuation plans. Here is Rich Serino, FEMA’s deputy administrator, on the [...]
After the Flood: Preventing Mold and Mildew
So flood waters have receded and, thanks to your Flood Solutions flood vents, your home is structurally sound. The next step is to dry out your home to prevent growth of mold or mildew. This needs to be done as quickly as possible, as residents of Hamptons Roads, Virginia found out during recent flooding. Mold [...]
Mobile Apps for Hurricane Tracking, Flashlights
In an earlier blog post, we talked about FEMA’s new app for mobile devices that gives emergency preparedness tips and locations of FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers. There are plenty of other great apps that provide support in emergency situations. If a major storm is heading your way, you can use an app to track its [...]
Washington Debates Extension of Flood Insurance Program
Senators and House representatives are deciding the future of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The National Flood Insurance Program is a voluntary program administered by FEMA with over 20,000 communities participating across the U.S. With the objective of reducing the cost of flood damages, participating communities take proscribed steps to reduce possible flood damage [...]
FEMA Flood Map Changes
FEMA regularly updates flood maps as they gather new data and complete flood mitigation projects. This means you might find your home included in a flood hazard area. This happened recently in Scottsdale, Arizona when FEMA updated their flood maps for that region. If FEMA flood map revisions put your home in a flood hazard [...]