KATC StormTeam 3 Weather BLOG

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT 

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 

943 AM CDT THU MAR 22 2007 

 

…FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK 2007… 

 

…THURSDAY MARCH 22 – THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM… 

 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES LOUISIANA INVITES 

YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE THIRD ANNUAL NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY 

AWARENESS WEEK…MARCH 19 TO 23…2007. THE THEME TODAY MARCH 22… 

IS THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM OR NFIP. 

 

THE NFIP IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM ENABLING PROPERTY OWNERS TO PURCHASE 

FLOOD INSURANCE PROTECTION. FLOODING HAS CAUSED MORE DAMAGE IN THE 

UNITED STATES THAN ANY OTHER WEATHER RELATED EVENT DURING THE PAST 

20 YEARS…AVERAGING ALMOST 5 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. IN 

ADDITION…HOMES ARE 4 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE DAMAGED BY FLOODS 

THAN FIRES. EVEN JUST A FEW INCHES OF WATER IN A HOME CAN CAUSE 

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE. 

 

FLOOD LOSSES AREN`T COVERED BY YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE POLICY. 

EVERYONE HAS SOME FLOOD RISK…WITH THE RISK RANGING FROM LOW TO 

MODERATE TO HIGH. HOWEVER…LOW RISK AREAS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO 

DAMAGE. NEARLY 25 TO 35 PERCENT OF ALL CLAIMS EACH YEAR ARE PAID 

FOR PROPERTY LOCATED OUTSIDE OF HIGH RISK AREAS. 

HOMEOWNERS…RENTERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO PURCHASE 

FLOOD INSURANCE AS LONG AS THEIR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATES IN THE 

NFIP. AT THIS TIME…NEARLY 20 THOUSAND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE 

UNITED STATES AND ITS TERRITORIES PARTICIPATE IN THE NFIP BY 

ADOPTING AND ENFORCING FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ORDINANCES TO REDUCE 

FUTURE FLOOD DAMAGE. 

 

IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING FLOOD INSURANCE AND REDUCING FLOOD 

DAMAGES THROUGH FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS…THE NFIP 

IDENTIFIES AND MAPS THE NATION`S FLOODPLAINS. THESE FLOOD HAZARD 

MAPS…AVAILABLE THROUGH FEMA…CAN ALSO HELP CONSUMERS DETERMINE 

THEIR RISK AND CHOOSE APPROPRIATE FLOOD INSURANCE. FOR MORE 

INFORMATION…VISIT THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY 

WEBSITE AT…HTTP:/FLOODSMART.GOV. 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS AND THE 2007 FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS 

WEEK IS AVAILABLE AT /IN LOWERCASE LETTERS/: 

 

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY/