Know Your Flood Risk (Ohio)
Spring and summer rain storms in Ohio have the potential to cause flash flooding quickly and without warning, especially when the ground is already saturated with water. In urban areas, where pavement has replaced forests and fields, there can be two- to six-times as much water runoff than would occur in a natural area. Flood water is extremely powerful – it can move large rocks, topple trees, and damage property.
Viewer Tip: Know your flood risk! Over the course of a 30-year mortgage, a home has a 26 percent chance of being damaged by a flood, compared to only a 9 percent chance of being damaged by a fire. Find out if you live in a flood-prone area, and make sure that you have an evacuation plan in place. You can learn your flood risk by visiting the flood risk tool at www.floodsmart.gov/ and entering your address.
(Sources: The Center for Watershed Protection, http://www.cwp.org/; The National Flood Insurance Program, www.floodsmart.gov; NOAA National Weather Service, http://www.nws.noaa.gov/)
