Thread: FEMA Urges AZ, CA, & NV To Prepare for Winter Flooding

FEMA Urges Arizona, California, And Nevada Residents To Prepare For Winter Flooding

Wildfires, Rainy Season Conditions Could Cause Significant Property Damage

Release Date: January 21, 2011
Release Number: R9-11-001

» 2011 Region IX News Releases

OAKLAND, Ca. -- When it comes to winter flooding, there are two things that many homeowners should know about their risk. First, the dangers of severe weather and related flooding do not end when colder weather begins. Floods are a year-round hazard, and they can be especially dangerous in western states - including Arizona, California, and Nevada - due to recent wildfires and the upcoming rainy season.

FEMA's FloodSmart Campaign offers interactive tools to help homeowners understand their risk, including:

•A Wildfire Infographic illustrating the impact of wildfires on flooding
•A Cost of Flooding tool showing costs associated with varying levels of flooding
•Video of home and business owners who have experienced the benefits of flood coverage


Second, most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage, which resulted in an average claim of nearly $27,000 in 2009. In most cases, flood insurance made available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the only protection against the financial costs of flooding.

"Virtually every home and business owner faces some risk of flooding, which can stem from events as commonplace as broken sewer lines, slow moving rainstorms, or even a new real estate development that alters drainage patterns around a property," said Nancy Ward, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region IX Administrator. "Everyone should have a flood preparedness checklist, and for many people, having flood insurance can be as important as having an emergency supply kit and knowing where to go if they need to evacuate."

Specific dangers facing western states during the 2010-2011 winter season include:

Risks From Heavy Rainfall: Floods are a particularly common and costly hazard in Arizona, and can be caused by heavy rain and the remnants of tropical storms. Even mountainous areas are at risk, as higher grounds tend to funnel water down into canyons. In California, heavy rains through the winter and early spring are responsible for most of the state's yearly rainfall, causing cresting rivers, back-up storm drains and saturated ground, all of which can lead to devastating floods. Nevada also has a significant winter rainy season due to intense storms that originate over the Pacific Ocean.

Increased Risks From Wildfires: Large scale wildfires during the summer and fall months have dramatically altered ground conditions in communities in Arizona, California, and Nevada. The charred ground that these fires produce lacks vegetation that typically helps absorb and slow excess water, increasing the likelihood of flooding and mudflows and causing significant damage to nearby properties.

In 2010 alone, more than 142,000 acres in Arizona were severely damaged by wildfires, including the Schultz Wildfire in June, which burned more than 15,000 acres. Just one month later heavy rains brought severe flooding to the Flagstaff area. In 2009 the "Station" fire in Los Angeles County, Ca burned more than 160,000 acres. Residents in Nevada should also be aware of the flooding dangers associated with wildfires, which damaged more than 28,000 acres in 2010.

Residents in every state and nationwide should know that flood insurance policies typically take 30 days to become effective, so the time to get protected is now.

FEMA offers interactive tools to help homeowners understand their risk. For more information visit www.floodsmart.gov.

Individuals should visit FloodSmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419 to learn how to prepare for floods, what to do if their area has been flooded, how to purchase a National Flood Insurance policy, and the benefits of protecting their home and property against flooding.

For additional information, or to speak to FEMA representative, call the FEMA Newsdesk at 202-646-3272. For media inquiries specific to California, Arizona or Nevada, contact John Hamill at 510-627-7054.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Friday, 21-Jan-2011 17:44:28

FOIA No FEAR Act Data USA.gov DHS

Federal Emergency Management Agency
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
500 C Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20472
(202) 646-2500
(800) 621-FEMA / TTY (800) 462-7585

Flood insurance is woefully inadequate. An example is they tell you that you must replace your furnace, which runs $3000; but they only pay you to $1200 for it. The rest comes out of your pocket. There's a deductible too. If you choose to repair the furnace instead of replacing it, you will not receive any payment for it in the next flood. Thanks to the rampant fraud by victims of Katrina, flood victims are nickel and dimed to death.

Been there, done that.

Whats a furnace?
I must have gone many winters without. One at 11000 ft Colorado. Sure it gets cold at times.
Never $3000.00 worth though. Thats insane.
"I" choose my home, perhaps out of mother earths wrath.
Down south right now. Whats a water heater?
I am getting older, and comfort items are no longer necessities.
Only what I should have but don't.
I am a surviver. always! and help those along the way. I try.
More and more Americans need a good paying job. Comfort starts there.
Insurance is a Luxury!
I don't respect or trust a piece of paper to protect me or you.
Life for the average person? Never came with a guarantee.

Ahh but when it floods, prices go up up up for heaters and other appliances. The furnace/boiler that usually costs $1500 is now $3000. The plumber asks, you want it or im outta here. You've got to get your house livable so you can get out of a hotel room. It's a racket all around.