April is Maryland Flood Awareness Month! Counties are encouraged to communicate with residents about flood risk, insurance, and providing tools for communicating.
Flooding is the number one natural hazard in Maryland and are four times more likely to occur than a fire. There are over 61,000 flood insurance policies in Maryland covering over $15 billion; over $325 million in flood claims have been paid. Just one inch of water in a home can cause up to $25,000 in damages, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Taking steps to be prepared can make a big difference when a disaster arrives.
A flood awareness month toolkit is available through the Maryland Resiliency Partnership.
In addition, residents can learn about flood risk and prepare for flooding with the following resources:
- Floodsmart.gov allows residents to search for flood maps and resources.
- Maryland Flood Risk Application This website will show where a property or home is located in relation to the regulatory floodplain. While the site may be overwhelming, there are step-by-step How To guides that can be reached by clicking on Help or the i Icon.
- Flood Factor A website created by the nonprofit organization, First Street Foundation, provides information on flood risk to a property or home. This website is designed to estimate flood risk and does not include all possible risks of flood.
- MyCoast Maryland app – The MyCoast Maryland app is a tool for documenting tidal and storm-driven flooding in the community. This free application is downloaded onto a cellphone. When residents see a flood event and it safe to do so, they can take a picture of the flooding, select the type of flooding and hit submit. The information can be used to show how floodwaters are impacting the community and under what conditions flooding happens.
For more information about visit Maryland Resiliency Partnership.
