By Lisa Ray, GEMA,
and David
Stooksbury
University of Georgia
ATLANTA — Extremely moist soils,
combined with higher-than-normal river and lake levels, make
Georgia primed for major flooding. Adding to the concern, the
state is in the midst of hurricane season, prompting emergency
management officials and climatology experts to encourage
Georgians to make flood preparations before the waters start to
rise.
According to the National Weather Service, near-record rainfall
was recorded for many areas of north and middle Georgia, with
south Georgia receiving higher-than-normal rainfall amounts
during May and June.
With the hurricane season already off to an active start, these
conditions make flooding more likely in the event of a tropical
system moving through the Southeast.
Inland flooding
While storm surge remains a primary concern for coastal
residents, inland flooding can be a major threat to communities
hundreds of miles from the coast as intensive rain falls from
huge tropical air masses.
In the past three decades, more people have died of inland
flooding than from storm surges. Many of the deaths associated
with tropical storms have come in mountainous regions prone to
flooding. Thus, even people living and visiting north Georgia
need to remain alert to possible flooding.
Intense rainfall isn’t directly related to the wind speed of a
tropical system. In fact, some of the greatest rainfall amounts
occur from weaker storms that drift slowly or stall over an area.
Tropical Storm Alberto is a recent example. A weak storm in terms
of wind damage, Alberto caused devastating flooding in west
central and southwest Georgia.
The storm’s speed affects the amount of rainfall it generates.
The faster it moves, the lower the amount of rain.
Prepare now
With prime flooding conditions in place, the Georgia Emergency
Management Agency is urging Georgians to make flood preparations
now.
“First and foremost, Georgians should review their family safety
plans and make sure they have a disaster supplies kit on hand,”
said GEMA Director Mike Sherberger. “In addition, every family
should have a NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration)
weather radio so that they can receive immediate severe weather
and flood warnings.”
Home and business owners should also consider purchasing flood
insurance, according to the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources Floodplain Management Office.
Flood insurance
“A common myth is that flood insurance is only available to those
in high risk flood zones,” said Collis Brown,Coordinator of the
DNR Floodplain Management Unit. “In fact, as long as your
community is a participant in the National Flood Insurance
Program, you can purchase coverage for your home. It is highly
recommended that you do so since most homeowner’s policies do not
cover flood damage.”
The typical flood insurance premium in Georgia is less than $500
a year. For properties in low- to moderate-risk flood zones, it
can be less than $200 annually.
For more information on hurricane and flood preparation, contact
your local emergency management agency or visit GEMA’s Web site
at www.gema.state.ga.us.
Further information on flood insurance is on the Federal
Emergency Management Agency’s Web site (www.fema.gov/nfip/).
(Lisa Ray is the public affairs divison director for the
Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and David Stooksbury is the
state climatologist and is located in the Department of
Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of
Georgia.)
