Harris County offers hurricane tips, maps, measures to protect property

The Harris County Flood Control District has released information to help residents plan, prepare and protect their families from floods and hurricanes.

Hurricanes will remain a threat through Nov. 30. The Harris County region is especially susceptible to flood damage due to the flat terrain and impermeable clay soils. Residents are advised to purchase flood insurance if they do not already have coverage for their homes and valuables.

According to the National Flood Insurance Program, one inch of water inside a 2,000-square-foot home could cause approximately $21,000 in damages. Six inches could cost up to $40,000.

For more information about flood insurance, visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 888-379-9531.

To determine how vulnerable a home is to flooding, residents can consult the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). To view a FIRM at FEMA's Map Service Center, visit www.msc.fema.gov or www.hcfcd.org.

However, these maps do not show the risks for flooding when roadside ditches and storm sewers overflow, risks for flooding from bayous and streams or risks for flooding events that exceed the magnitude of a 0.2 percent flood.

The Flood Control District has put together a Family Flood Preparedness Center at www.hcfcd.org/famfloodprepare to provide helpful resources.

The Tropical Weather Center at www.hcfd.org/tropicalweather also has many useful resources to help residents be prepared for flooding and hurricanes. These resources include a guide to creating disaster preparedness plans and kits; information on what to do before, during or after a storm; a hurricane evacuation map; a hurricane guide to explain the power and anatomy of a hurricane; a storm tracker; and a rainfall and water-level monitor.

For more information about the Flood Control District, visit www.hcfcd.org.