Flood Awareness
I was trying to think of a catchy title and I could only
think of this.
One voice is not enough,
how can one spread the word? Do we need
a big flashy ad campaign, a jingle from a pop star? I actually thought that Montgomery county PA before 15 years
ago had not seen much flooding. After conducting some research, I have found that Pennsylvania
is a very flood prone state. We easily
forget how many creeks and rivers are very close to us all. You can look at any detailed map, in print or
online and see the network of waterways that flow from north to south all over
Montgomery County.
The objective of this blog was originally related to my
personal interests in weather events and Photography. With reading weather stories for this blog, combined
with watching how this area flooded during Irene and Lee, I feel that I need
help raise awareness of a potentially serious problem with our suburban landscape. Even worse, I have heard numerous times how
people have died trying to drive through flooded roads. I met and spoke with a business owner
who standing outside his flooded business the day after Irene had passed. I offered to take pictures of his damaged local and send the pics to him by email. Most
of us do not have a clue how to handle ourselves with a serious storm
threat. Of course we don’t see massive tornados
bringing 5 inch hail or a direct hit with winds driven from a large
Hurricane. However with recent the climate change we are finding
that the ocean temperature has risen, ice flows in the North Atlantic are disappearing.
All these combined problems add up and alter our weather at a global level. Our media and other sources of information do
not seem to be enough to capture our attention and educate the general public. On another note, I was upset to hear
how the residents of Joplin Mo. ignored the tornado warning last May and this
of course is how many people died, being unprepared for what was a very large
tornado that destroyed much of their town.
We must understand that because of climate change, there is greater
chance of having strong storms occur that make it harder for Meteorologists detect them. In other words we end up being caught by
surprise. Being unprepared or making a really
bad decision during a flood could mean life or death.
There are several things we can do to be prepared for unusual
weather events.
Some of this will sound like common sense, but we live
complex lives where we are so busy at school or at work that we sometimes are
too busy to read or listen to the news.
There are NOAA weather alert radios that can be used if you are in a power
failure or if your cell phone loses its signal.
I recommend this type of radio because the alerts are done by a computer
and the reports that are made are done 24/7. A weather radio is easily found in your local
RadioShack store. Being ready for a disaster involves preparation and planning.
More information on that and how to
document your property for insurance purposes can be found here. http://readymontco.montcopa.org/readymontco/cwp/view,A,1553,Q,43345,readymontcoNav,%7C34802%7C.asp
Flood Insurance
Did you know that it takes about 30 days just to enroll in a
flood insurance policy? This reinforces
that fact that you should be prepared way before storms affect you and your family.
I obtained the following information at http://www.floodsmart.gov/ this is a very educational and useful
website. I placed this information from that site here for educational purposes, I do not sell flood insurance.
Please read the information below...
Inland flooding (this
is no joke)
Some of the most damaging floods
after a hurricane occur hundreds of miles from the coast. Even though the state
of Pennsylvania has no ocean coastline, it repeatedly faced intense rainfall
causing dramatic inland flooding during last year's hurricane season. In 2004,
hurricane season flood insurance claims for Pennsylvanians were second only to
Florida. Residents of that inland state received more than $175 million in
total payments.
A tropical storm can produce more
rainfall than a Category 5 hurricane. The largest amount of rainfall from
hurricanes is usually produced by slow moving tropical storms that stall over
an area. As all hurricanes weaken to tropical storms and move inland, the
threat of torrential rains and high winds over large areas intensify the risks
of flooding.
Inland flooding can occur almost
immediately and even a small amount of flooding can cause significant risk and
damage. As tropical storms move inland, rainfall dumped in short timeframes can
result in flash flooding that can last up to a week or more. Just six inches of
moving water can sweep a person off his or her feet, and only a few inches of
water can cause thousands of dollars of damage to homes and businesses.
Be FloodSmart Inland Flooding
Preparedness Tips:
Monitor any tropical storm systems.
Make sure you and your family are aware of storm paths and pay attention to any
flood-related advisories or warnings for your community.
Make sure you have an emergency
plan and contact. Plan and practice a flood evacuation route and ask someone
out of state to be a "family contact" in case you are separated from
loved ones.
Get flood insurance. Visit
www.FloodSmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419 to learn your risk, prepare for
inland flooding, and discover how to purchase a National Flood Insurance
Policy. A 30-day wait period means you should act now to protect your property.
The toll-free number and Web site provide flood insurance resources and
information, including tools to find an agent and estimate the cost of insurance
premiums.
Finally, if you know someone that was affected by recent flooding as a result of T.S Lee please visit this article (see link below) which states that residents in Montgomery Co. can apply for aide.
