Spring Floods

Learn what to do before, during and after a flood

Homes with rivers running through them. Buildings swept off their foundations. Appliances, personal belongings and business inventory submerged and destroyed. These scenes are common during floods. But there are steps to take to protect your property. It is less expensive to protect your property before it is damaged from a flood than to repair or replace it afterward.

What can you do to protect yourself from floods?

  1. Make changes to your house or property
  2. Buy flood insurance

    Find out if your property is located in an area that is at high risk for flooding. Visit our FEMA Map Service Center to view flood risk identification maps (FIRMs) online. Homeowners and other property owners with access to the Internet can locate information on their community and their neighborhood. Or, find out from your local officials if you are located in an area that is high risk for flooding. Some communities have made the maps available in libraries and other community places.

    Keep in mind, however, that nearly 25 percent of flood insurance claims come from properties considered to be at low or moderate risk of flooding. So, even if you do not live in a high-risk area, flood insurance is a good idea. Devastating floods in the United States cause more than $2 billion in property damage each year. Most homeowners and business insurance policies do not cover flood loss.

  3. Learn more about Floods, Hurricanes and Landslides.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 18-Apr-2006 12:30:11 EDT