September is National Preparedness Month: Flood Risk Tools for You and Your Community
Each September, National Preparedness Month encourages and reminds each of us to be prepared for disasters and emergencies. Homeowners, families, communities, and businesses can use this opportunity to find ways or help others understand more about preparing for disasters and reducing risks to health and the environment.
Not surprisingly, at ASFPM we’re focused on flood preparedness and how we can encourage our community members to understand and lower their flood risk. In recognition of National Preparedness Month, we have curated a collection of resources to help you and your communities be prepared. Some resources, like Reduce Flood Risk and the K-12 collection, are geared toward the general public and could be added to your outreach efforts. The remaining resources are intended to help professionals like you reduce flooding.
ReduceFloodRisk.org (in English and Spanish) – This free, easy-to-use tool helps residents understand their risk and take action. With mitigation strategies tailored to their property type, plus insurance info and helpful resources, it’s built to put your community on a path toward understanding and reducing their flood risk. It was developed by the ASFPM Flood Science Center in consultation with various ASFPM committees, FEMA, and others.
ASCE 24-24 – Published by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the new ASCE 24-24: Flood Resistant Design and Construction reflects major updates to flood-resistant design requirements and plays a key role in how communities can mitigate future flood risk. ASFPM members can access it for free.
K-12 Flood Education Resources – Dive into a tailored collection of flood education tools and activities spanning kindergarten through high school. From riverine and coastal flooding to flash flood and stormwater topics, this library has resources that make learning meaningful and fun.
Understanding and Managing Flood Risk: A Guide for Elected Officials – This three-part guide was created by the ASFPM Flood Science Center to help elected officials gain a comprehensive understanding of the range of choices that are available as they evaluate how to prepare for and respond to flood events in their communities.
The Cost of Inaction: What the Texas Floods Reveal About Our Risk – We know what works. But inaction — or worse, deliberate rollback of protections — has once again left communities vulnerable. As Dr. Gilbert White wrote in 1942: “Floods are acts of God, but flood losses are largely acts of man.” Unfortunately, we have yet to fully learn that lesson. To help prevent tragedies like the one we saw in Texas, ASFPM offers six recommendations to strengthen our nation’s approach to flood risk management.
The Camp Gap: What We Can Learn from the Camp Mystic Tragedy – The latest column by ASFPM Executive Director Chad Berginnis shares five lessons learned from the Camp Mystic flood event — from closing regulatory gaps and improving warning systems to practicing emergency plans and asking the right questions.
Urban Flood Hazards: Challenges and Opportunities – Developed by ASFPM’s Stormwater Management Committee, this discussion paper explores the challenges of urban flooding, outlines concepts related to planning and mitigation to reduce future flood losses, and provides recommendations at the local and national scale to address urban flooding in communities nationwide.
We encourage you to use and share these tools during National Preparedness Month—and throughout the year—to help strengthen resilience in your community.
