DNREC officials push preparedness during Flood Awareness Week
DELAWARE – Flood Awareness Week is underway in the First State. Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) officials are hoping to help the state’s residents prepare for high water.
Statewide Concern
Whether you live near the coast, or in an urban area, DNREC officials say every Delawarean should know the risks. That’s why they say the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), administered under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is so crucial to the area.
“You might not even know you’re in a flood zone,” said Delaware NFIP Coordinator, Katharyn Potter. “And, if you buy a property from someone, you might not have been given all of the information that was available.”
Potter says 40% of flooding happens outside of the Special Flood Hazard Area. Plus, hurricane season is right around the corner, starting on June 1st. Additionally, she says climate change is impacting all Delawareans; making flooding a statewide issue of increasing concern.
Prepare With NFIP
“You want to know the risk, mitigate the risk, and insure the risk,” Potter said. That’s made possible through the NFIP, which Potter says is invaluable to communities across the First State.
“There are certain agents that are accepted by FEMA to sell insurance. Homeowners can get insurance, and renters can get insurance. So, you can insure just the contents, or you can insure the property and the contents,” Potter said. “The standard is normally, if that water has touched the ground outside, it’s not going to be covered by homeowners insurance.”
Participation in the NFIP is voluntary, and focuses on protection of human life and property.
“Each community has said they will abide by the NFIP requirements. And, some communities in Delaware go above and beyond what the minimum requirements are,” Potter said. “So, the communities are the ones that set the rules for what they will accept, in exchange for their residents getting insured at a discounted rate.”
Online Tools, Looking Ahead
There are helpful online tools that can help Delawareans know just how much of a danger flooding poses to them and their property.
The Delaware Flood Planning Tool is an online interactive map, designed to help Delawareans research their flood risk. Additionally, DNREC recently launched its Individual Adaptation Decision and Planning, or I-ADAPT online tool. The site aims allows users to enter information about their property, and the tool will generate recommendations on how to lower their flood risk.
Delaware Flood Awareness Week ends on May 24th. However, leaders say it’s an issue that all Delawareans should keep top of mind, at all times. Governor John Carney has declared the week of May 20th through May 24th as Flood Awareness Week in Delaware.
