Carrollton, Alabama

... This is National flood safety awareness week...

Your National Weather Service (nws) invites your participation in
the fifth annual National flood safety awareness week.

Today's theme is flood insurance and flood risk. Everyone lives in
a flood zone... with their risk of flooding ranging from low... to
moderate... to high. Over a typical thirty year mortgage... floods
are nearly three times more likely to occur than a fire. Put
another way... your home has the same chance of being flooded as
your car being stolen... yet few people have flood insurance.

You may think that you are covered for flood insurance... but most
homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Just a few inches
of water in a home can cause thousands of dollars of damage.
Homeowners... renters... and business owners are eligible to Purchase
flood insurance as long as their community participates in the
National flood insurance program/nfip/.

The nfip is a federal program enabling property owners to Purchase
flood insurance at reasonable rates. It takes thirty days after
Purchase for a policy to take effect... so it is important to buy
insurance before the floodwaters start to rise. Now is a great
time to buy flood insurance ahead of the Spring and Summer severe
storm season... and the Summer and fall hurricane season. Buy flood
insurance and stay protected no matter what. See the federal
emergency management agency web site at

   www.Floodsmart.Gov (all lowercase)

To get more information on the nfip... assess your flood risk
on-line... or find a nfip agent close to you.

Additional information about National Weather Service flood
warnings... advisories... and flood safety is available at:

   www.Weather.Gov/floodsafety (all lowercase)

Friday's topic will be flood safety and preparation.

For more information contact roger McNeil... service hydrologist
(e-mail roger.Mcneil@noaa.Gov) at 205-664-3010.