What People Need to Know About Floods

This first week highlights floods. Individuals, communities, businesses, schools, and houses of worship around the country are holding preparedness discussions, conducting drills, and taking easy steps to prepare for floods and other disasters.

America's PrepareAthon!℠ is a grassroots, community-based campaign for action to get families, organizations, and entire communities better prepared for floods and other emergencies.

According to the National Weather Service, flooding, which can occur anywhere in America, proved to be the most costly hazard in 2015, exceeding $2.7 billion in damages.

Some simple steps to begin preparing for a flood include:

1. Know your flood risk. Learn whether you live, work, or travel through areas that are prone to flooding. To check your flood risk, enter your address at http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/flooding_flood_risks/defining_flood_risks.jsp.
2. Make sure you're covered by flood insurance. Flood insurance provides financial protection for the costs of repairs due to flood damage. The standard home insurance policy doesn't cover flood so if your home is at risk for flooding, call your agent today. Coverage takes effect 30 days after purchase.
3. Stay informed. Receiving timely information about weather conditions or other emergency events can make all the difference in knowing when to take action to be safe. Monitor the weather reports provided by your local news media. Many communities also have text or email alerting systems for emergency notifications.
4. Download the FEMA app for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety tips. The app provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and open recovery centers, tips on how to survive natural and manmade disasters, and weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations across the Nation. The latest feature of the app enables users to receive push notifications to their devices to remind them to take important steps to prepare their homes and families for disasters.
5. Know your evacuation routes; plan your transportation and a place to stay. The safest way to survive a flood is to evacuate the area if advised to leave. To ensure that you will be able to act quickly should the need arise, you need to plan ahead.
6. Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place. Have all of your personal, medical, and legal papers in one place so that you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family's critical documents at the last minute. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart. Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist.
7. Practice how you will communicate with family members. In a dangerous situation, your first thoughts will be the safety of your family and friends. In case you are not together when authorities issue a flood watch or flood warning, practice how you will communicate with each other. Remember that sending texts is often faster than making a phone call. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart. Take Part. Create Your Family Emergency Communication Plan
8. Store supplies so you can grab them quickly if you need to evacuate; know in advance what else you will need to take. Take time now to make a list of the things you would need or want to take with you if you had to leave your home quickly. Store the basic emergency supplies in a "Go Bag" or other container. Be ready to grab other essential items quickly before leaving.
9. Discuss what you have done to prepare with your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.  Talking about preparedness with others will help you think through your plans, share information about alerts and warnings, and share tips for protecting property. Talking about disasters and helping others prepare makes everyone safer.

Media outlets may also link to this guide on your website to provide your viewers and readers with more information about how to prepare for a flood.

Please contact the FEMA News Desk at (202) 646-3272 for additional information.

Courtesy of America's PrepareAthon! and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

SOURCE Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)