MEMA Encourages Maryland Residents to Be Aware of the Dangers and Impacts of Floods

Flood Safety Week runs from March 12-16

REISTERSTOWN, MD (March 9, 2012) — Floods are the most frequent and costly natural disaster in the United States. Flood effects can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and multiple states.

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) encourages residents to know their flood hazards. National Flood Safety Awareness Week (March 12-16) is intended to highlight some of the many ways floods can occur, the hazards associated with floods, and what you can do to save lives and preserve property.

To help individuals better understand flood risks nationwide as well as empower them to take steps that mitigate damaging floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created a one-stop flood awareness tool available at http://www.ready.gov/floodawareness. This site contains valuable tips on what to do before, during and after a flood, and encourages flood insurance protection, among other measures.

There also are tools on the MEMA website (www.mema.state.md.us) to learn more about flooding in Maryland. You can click on the Flooding and Flash Floods link under Be Prepared on the left navigation bar. Visitors to the web site also can click on the flooding tab at the top of the webpage for a tool to determine if they are in a flood prone area.

“Tropical Storm Lee followed on the heels of Hurricane Irene, leading to serious flooding along the Susquehanna River in towns like Port Deposit and Havre de Grace, and in other locations such as Upper Marlboro and parts of Southern Maryland,” said MEMA Executive Director Richard Muth. “I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for families and businesses to plan ahead and prepare for flooding events that can potentially affect their communities. Now is also the time to consider purchasing flood insurance.”

Floods do more than damage properties; they can also threaten lives if careful safety precautions are not followed. It is important to know your community’s flood risk, flood history and overall community action plan to address flooding events before, during and after they occur. All areas of the state face flood risks: flash floods in the stream valleys of Western Maryland, urban flooding in Central Maryland, tidal flooding along the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland’s coastal bays and along the Atlantic coast and large river basin flooding along the Potomac and Susquehanna rivers.

“Develop a strong family emergency plan and reach out to your community’s best flood planning resource — the local emergency management office,” said Muth. “This approach will help protect your family and property while learning, lending input, and assisting your first responders.”