National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
835 AM CDT THU MAR 21 2013

...FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DESIGNATED MARCH 18 TO 22 AS FLOOD
SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK.  THE PURPOSE OF FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK
IS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF FLOODING...AND WAYS
TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

TODAYS TOPIC OF INFORMATION IS...FLOOD RISK AND FLOOD INSURANCE.

IT FLOODS SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES OR ITS TERRITORIES NEARLY
EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. FLOODING CAUSES MORE DAMAGE IN THE UNITED
STATES THAN ANY OTHER WEATHER RELATED EVENT...WITH AN AVERAGE OF
$8 BILLION PER YEAR AND ABOUT 95 FATALITIES.  FLOODING CAN OCCUR ANY
TIME OF YEAR...SOMETIMES VERY QUICKLY. BEING PREPARED IN ADVANCE AND
KNOWING A FEW FLOOD SAFETY TIPS WILL HELP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
SURVIVE A FLOOD IF IT HAPPENS IN YOUR AREA.

KNOWING YOUR FLOOD RISK IN ADVANCE IS THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR
FLOODING OF ANY TYPE IN YOUR LOCATION. MANY OF OUR PARTNERS PROVIDE
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU DETERMINE IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA.
ALSO KNOWING IF THERE IS A DAM OR LEVEE SYSTEM IN YOUR AREA IS
IMPORTANT. CONTACT YOUR NWS OFFICE TO FIND OUT MORE. IF A DAM OR
LEVEE FAILS...FLASH FLOODING CAN HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY AND YOU NEED TO
KNOW WHAT TO DO BEFORE IT HAPPENS.

ON TUESDAY WE DISCUSSED HOW KNOWING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOODS...
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THEM...AND KNOWING THE ACTIONS TO TAKE DURING AND
AFTERWARD CAN SAVE YOU TIME...MONEY...AND EVEN YOUR LIFE.  TODAY WE
COVER WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
PROGRAM.

IN 1968...CONGRESS CREATED THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM...OR
NFIP. THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE RISING COST OF TAXPAYER FUNDED
DISASTER RELIEF FOR FLOOD VICTIMS AND THE INCREASING AMOUNT OF
DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLOODS. FLOOD LOSSES ARE NOT TYPICALLY COVERED BY
YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE POLICY. SO IT IS A SMART IDEA TO MAKE SURE
YOU ARE COVERED. OUR PARTNERS AT FEMA HAVE ONLINE MAPS THAT SHOW IF
YOU ARE IN A FLOOD RISK AREA.

ONCE YOU KNOW YOUR RISK...YOU CAN PURCHASE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
FROM PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND AGENTS. CURRENTLY...THERE ARE
OVER 100 INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT SELL NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
COVERAGE...IN ADDITION TO SOME SIXTY-THOUSAND INDEPENDENT AGENTS.

ANYONE IN A COMMUNITY THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE NATIONAL FLOOD
INSURANCE PROGRAM CAN ALSO PURCHASE BUILDING AND/OR CONTENTS
COVERAGE...WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS. KNOWING YOUR LOCATION AND RISK
WILL HELP DETERMINE YOUR ELIGIBILITY. CHECK OUT FEMA/S ONLINE MAP
SERVICE CENTER TO DETERMINE YOUR RISK AND THEN TALK WITH YOUR
INSURANCE CARRIER TO SEE IF THEY CAN PROVIDE FLOOD INSURANCE OR
POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF THEY DO NOT CARRY IT.

EVERYONE IS AT RISK AT SOME POINT... WHETHER AT HOME...IN A
VEHICLE...OR ELSEWHERE. FLOODS ARE 4 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR THAN
A FIRE. AND ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF ALL INSURANCE CLAIMS PAID EACH YEAR
ARE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED OUTSIDE OF HIGH-RISK AREAS. IF YOUR HOME IS
WITHIN THE FLOOD PLAIN...THERE IS ABOUT A 26% CHANCE YOU WILL SEE A
FLOOD DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR 30-YEAR MORTGAGE TERM.

YOU MIGHT THINK THAT YOUR INSURANCE WILL COVER YOU FOR FLOOD
DAMAGES. BUT MOST HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER FLOOD
DAMAGE...AND ONLY A FEW INCHES OF WATER IN YOUR HOME CAN RESULT
IN THOUSANDS IN DOLLARS OF DAMAGE.

JOIN US TOMORROW FOR INFORMATION ON THE NWS ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC
PREDICTION SERVICE AND PARTNER SERVICES.

&&

IMPORTANT FLOOD-RELATED WEBSITES

NWS:         HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV

NWS AHPS:    HTTP://WATER.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS

NWS MOBILE:  HTTP://MOBILE.WEATHER.GOV

NWS FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS:   HTTP://WWW.FLOODSAFETY.NOAA.GOV

FEMA:        HTTP://WWW.FEMA.GOV

FEMA MAP SERVICE CENTER:  HTTPS://MSC.FEMA.GOV

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM:  HTTP://WWW.FLOODSMART.GOV/FLOODSMART/

BE A FORCE OF NATURE:  HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/COM/WEATHERREADYNATION/FORCE.HTML

$$