Flooded streets in New London, July 5, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — As spring approaches, Brown County officials are emphasizing flood readiness and emergency planning.
It’s all part of Flood Safety Awareness Week.
Officials held a news conference Monday to highlight flood resources residents are encouraged to take a look at. The goal is to have community members know how to make their properties more resilient to flood and what they can do to stay safe in case of a flood.
“How do we prepare to avoid? How do we make sure that we’re doing everything we can possibly do to save lives and make sure that we’re preparing for those situations that hopefully never come?” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach. “But when those times do come, we know that if we’re prepared, it saves lives.”
Flooding is the most common natural disaster that Wisconsin residents face, according to Daniel Kane, emergency management director for Brown County. He says it’s also among the most difficult weather phenomena to predict.
“Several local events in 2024 from nearby counties in Northeast Wisconsin remind us that these flooding events do happen and they are in our backyard, so it’s important that we don’t become complacent to these types of threats and hazards,” Kane said.
Here are ways you can keep yourself safe, prepared and informed during flooding incidents:
- Have an emergency plan and emergency kit in place so you aren’t scrambling if you get displaced by flooding. It should include things like money, clothing, toiletries, a phone charger, a first-aid kit and a waterproof container to store important documents.
- Have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, both at home and at work (for example: phone apps, TV, radio).
- Turn around, don’t drown: The majority of flood deaths occur from people driving through flooded waters. 81% of the flood deaths in Wisconsin last year were driving-related.
- Get flood insurance to ensure that if you are impacted by flooding, you’re able to recover. Most home owner’s insurance policies do not have flood coverage; it’s a separate insurance policy that you have to obtain.
- Document the valuable items in your home by taking pictures of those items. If they are destroyed or lost during a flooding event, you will be able to show your insurance company that you had those items in your possession.
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