Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division Named 2022 Outreach Award Winner

This award acknowledges exemplary efforts by an individual, private organization or governmental unit or agency to increase information and/or awareness of flood issues with the general public.

2022 Winner: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division

King tide … Compound flooding …  Riverine flooding … 100-year flood?

Terms related to flood hazards are used inconsistently and interchangeably among professionals and the general public. Some flood terms are not scientifically defined, have taken on several meanings, are used synonymously when they have unique meanings, or used inconsistently by different organizations.

In order to facilitate clear communication and outreach, it’s important that we’re all using the same terminology, particularly when communicating with local officials and the general public about flooding and the threats flooding poses to safety and property.

The way flood terms are used could determine how a community will prepare, adapt, and recover when faced with a disaster. If people do not understand or care about the message, it could be hard for professionals to encourage them to react in ways they suggest.

The Georgia Flood Literacy Project, led by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division, brought together local, state, and federal partners to develop “clear, consistent, widely applicable, and scientifically accurate definitions of flood terminology” for both practitioners and the general public.  The resulting 9-page glossary of flood terms are available for download from the Flood Literacy Project website and part of a comprehensive outreach program.