May 1, 2010 - Flood Season: Preparing to Prepare
The following contributed article just appeared in E-SPONDER’s Quarterly newsletter:
FLOOD SEASON: PREPARING TO PREPARE
Contributed by Bill and Janet Liebsch, Authors of "It’s a Disaster"
Many natural disasters like hurricanes, rain, thunderstorms, and melting snow, cause flooding. And flooding is more common than we think. According to FEMA, everyone lives in a flood zone - it’s just a question of whether you live in a low, moderate or high risk area. To reduce the impact of a flood-related disaster, emergency management agencies may consider using Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) to develop a community-based plan. In addition to providing flood zone information, maps supply research for flood assistance funds available for your area as well.
Emergency management agencies should also prepare for flood season by talking to their communities about what individuals can do before, during and after a flood. If you’re not sure where to start, check out the "Flood Recovery Booklet" from the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium.
If flood preparation or flood recovery funding is an issue, check out these grant resources:
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/hmgp/index.shtm
Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA)
http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/fma/index.shtm
Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program
http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pdm/index.shtm
Above also available on E-SPONDER site in PDF
E•SPONDER is a market leader in creating software solutions for managing emergency situations including tactical response tools for first responders, emergency operation centers and any organization working in emergency situations. For more information, visit www.e-sponder.com