Local flood alerts: stay tuned!

3/30/2020 (Permalink)

Car flooding

This month marks the National Weather Safety's (NWS) Annual Flood Safety Awareness . The National Weather safety will be teaming with NOAA and FEMA to provide awareness and safety to help prepare America for the single most damaging water related event. For those who are not aware The NWS is America’s Hero, providing support efforts and important prevention information to those at risk of experiencing the effects of a disaster from sea to shining sea. Similar to SERVPRO, The NWS exists to provide one sole purpose. To provide support and relief to those we serve.

Flood preparedness is not optional when living here in the Southern Tier. Our long term residents know firsthand the disastrous effects of Flash Flooding. Within the last decade we have experienced two catastrophic floods, the first in 2006 and the second in 2011. The flood caused from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 forced 20,000 (NY Times) residents to evacuate their homes and find refuge outside the flood zone. Local University SUNY Binghamton even housed 1,700 residents displaced from their homes in its events center and used it’s west gym as a medical emergency unit, caring for 100 critically injured flood victims (NY Times). Unfortunately flooding is too common and unpreventable by the residents. Because they are guaranteed to happen and unpreventable in nature, being prepared for such an event is absolutely critical. SERVPRO will be here for relief efforts after the event, however it is your responsibility to ensure that when a flood does strike that you are not caught without a plan.

Knowledge is power. Binghamton’s National Weather service has dedicated each day this week to a different flood related topic.

We highly recommend that you educate yourself on the different topics. Here’s the “sparknotes” version: but reading the full piece could literally be a matter of life or death come the time of an emergency.

Prepare: Know what you’re up against

Flooding Hazards that affect Broome County of New York State:

-Flash Floods

-River Flooding

-Snowmelt

-Tropical Systems and Coastal Flooding

Be Aware: Stay Informed

Use resources to always be aware of what the conditions are around you.

Final words from SERVPRO:

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”- Benjamin Franklin