Fire Season Arrives – Are Flash Floods Next?

The Pacific Northwest is coming out of one of its driest winters on record, and emergency responders are bracing for an early and possibly severe wildfire season. But even in the midst of a drought, spring rains and thunderstorms can trigger flash flooding as hardened soils fail to absorb sudden downpours.

According to FEMA Regional Director John Pennington, calendar observances like NOAA’s Severe Weather and Wildfire Awareness Week are invaluable tools in communicating disaster preparedness messages.

“We can’t stop Mother Nature, but we can influence human behavior,” Pennington said. “We can and must take action before disasters strike to mitigate their worst effects and remove some of the pain from the recovery process.”

To protect homes from wildfires, Pennington urged the creation of “defensible perimeters” by clearing flammable debris well-away from structures and outbuildings:

• Establish firebreaks around the perimeter of structures, power poles and property.

• Cut back flammable weeds and brush and remove tree branches to a height of 15 feet.

• Stack firewood away from your home.

• Store combustible materials only in approved containers, and well away from the house.

• Keep roofs, chimneys and gutters clean.

• Keep a non-flammable screen over the flue opening of chimneys or stovepipes.

• Use fire resistant materials when retrofitting or renovating structures.

• Install smoke detectors on every floor, and near sleeping areas.

• Have fire tools (shovel, rake, water bucket and a ladder that can reach the roof) handy.

• Plan and rehearse family evacuation plans.

“Wildfires and prolonged drought conditions strip slopes of groundcover and harden soils, increasing the risk of flash floods, allowing them to strike suddenly, with higher velocity and greater debris loads,” Pennington said. “You don’t need to live in a high risk flood zone to be at risk from flash floods or to qualify for National Flood Insurance. The time to act is before floodwaters rise.”

Tips for reducing vulnerability to flood damage range from elevating or relocating vulnerable appliances, water heaters and furnaces, to installing backflow valves on sewer lines and anchoring in-yard fuel tanks.

According to Pennington, most floods are too small to qualify for federal assistance, but collectively still cause millions of dollars in damage. “Standard homeowner insurance does not cover flood damage,” Pennington said. “National Flood Insurance pays off regardless of whether there is a disaster declaration or not. It’s affordable, and offers a comprehensive safety net against future flood losses.”

New policies do have a 30-day waiting period before they take effect, and Pennington recommended that at-risk properties be protected NOW.

For more information on how to minimize the effects of natural disasters, visit: www.fema.gov. or www.Ready.gov. For details on NOAA’s Severe Weather and Wildland Fire Awareness Week observances, visit: www.nws.noaa.gov.