SolveYourProblem Article Series: Floods
Flood Facts, Tips and Safety Protocols

How Do I Prepare For A Flood?

One of the most important things that a person can do to prepare for a flood eventuality is to do exactly what you're doing now. And that is to gather as much information as possible on whether or not you and your family are situated in a high risk area and if so what resources are available to you in your community to help you cope should a flood occur.

First off, if you have no previous experience in the area that you currently live you should feel free to contact your local government offices. Most have several subdivisions that cover a number of environmental issues and they can direct you to the best source of information. If you have lived in an area for a time and yet have never witnessed a flood of any dimension, it is still good to acquaint yourself with local history.

In 1997 Winnipeg went through a major flood of the Red River that extended south into North Dakota and Minnesota. Even if someone had moved there within the previous few decades they still may not have been aware of the devastating flood that took place in 1950. Yet, the Red River has flooded many times over the centuries and given the right circumstances of excessive snow and ice – and then a warm spring – flood conditions can rapidly develop. In 1950 the flood reached a high of 30ft at Winnipeg, necessitating the evacuation of 100,000 people and costing several hundred million dollars in damage. The government acted to put flood safety measures in place which inspired the construction of the Red River Floodway. This massive project, which was completed in 1968, proved to be a blessing in handling most of the excess water, but even so, the flood in '97 still reached a level of 21' and 28,000 people had to be evacuated.

An example such as this, helps to demonstrate that even if your area has been relatively problem free it is a smart idea to investigate a little and find out if, given the right set of conditions, your home may be at risk of a flood.

In investigating the risk factor in your area, there are some geographical and meteorological characteristics that are natural sign posts that can help point to the possibility of flooding. Naturally low-lying areas or coastal areas are at greater risk. On the coast, tides that are seasonly high can be amplified by severe storms. Perhaps your area has heavy rainfalls during certain seasons. If your winters are long and cold the possibility exists that ice jams can form in the the early spring downstream pushing water upstream beyond it's borders. And the combination of a heavy snow winter and a quick warm spring around the months of April to June can cause runoffs to overload the local streams, rivers and lakes. It has even occurred that in some hilly areas where forests are being cleared for urban construction that an unexpected heavy rainfall has caused water mixed with mud to cascade down taking homes and cars down in its path.

So in assessing the risk factor for your home and community it is good to consider any number of these factors. Once you you've done this, the next step is to put into place some practical preventative measures and a plan of action for you and your family.

Emergencies and disasters can happen anytime, anywhere without warning. Protect yourself and your family. Click to see valuable emergency preparedness supplies and information. Be ready. Be prepared. I love this website. It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.

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by SolveYourProblem.com : 2009

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