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<br />WHAT You CAN Do BEFORE A FLOOD <br /> <br />"Taking the time to plan and prepare a solid floodplain management and emergency <br />response program is the only way to minimize the devastating impact that flood waters can <br />have on your community,"- Christopher C. Johnson, Mayor, Agawam, Massachusetts <br /> <br /> <br />UNDERSTAND YOUR FLOOD PROBLEM First, investi- <br /> <br />gate your community's flood risk so that you understand <br />its magnitude and the places most at risk. Read newspaper <br /> <br />accounts about past floods and examine the photographs. <br />But do not assume that what you can find in old newspa' <br />pers is the whole story. Flooding may have occurred infre- <br />quently, so they probably do not give a <br />full history of your past floods. <br /> <br />Technical studies of your <br />community's flood risk may <br />have already been done by a , <br />federal or state agency so there <br /> <br />are reports and maps that describe <br />the flood risk for most of the streams in <br /> <br />your community. Find out which of your departments <br />has this information in their files. Or check with a state <br /> <br />agency, regional planning or special district office, or the <br /> <br />nearest office of the U.s. Army Corps of Engineers, the <br /> <br />Natural Resources Conservation Service, or the Federal <br /> <br />Emergency Management Agency (see Appendix A). <br />After studying the technical reports and maps, visit <br />the areas that are subject to flooding. Visualize how deep <br />the flood waters will be in each neighborhood (you can <br /> <br />obtain that information from the technical study men- <br /> <br />tioned above), Notice which properties would be affected <br />and how. Get first,hand accounts of past floods from your <br /> <br />constituents who live or have businesses in these areas. <br /> <br />UNDERSTAND YOUR FLOODPLAIN Althoughfloods are <br /> <br />a problem for many communities, floodplain lands are <br /> <br />valuable commwlity assets. The natural resources con- <br /> <br />tained in flood-prone lands and their natural functions can <br /> <br />increase a community's overall quality of <br /> <br />life. This role has been undervalued <br /> <br />all too frequently in the past. <br /> <br />Substantial gains can <br /> <br />be made by transforming <br /> <br />stream and river floodplains <br />from problems areas into value- <br /> <br />added community assets. Parks, <br /> <br />bikepaths, open spaces, wildlife areas, and aesthetic <br /> <br />features are important quality-af-life issues to taday's <br /> <br />citizens. And assets like these make your community <br /> <br />more appealing to potential employers, investors, home- <br /> <br />owners, and tourists. You are uniquely positioned to tap <br /> <br />these resources for the benefit of your community. <br />When portions of floodplains are left in or restored <br /> <br />to a nearly natural state, not only do they reduce the <br />number and severity of floods, but they also can help <br /> <br />handle stormwater runoff and minimize nonpoint water <br /> <br />pollution, for lar less money than it would take to build <br /> <br />facilities to correct these problems. <br /> <br />p age 10 <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />--- <br /> <br />- - ~---~- <br />