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Be Prepared
Flooding can occur anywhere in Kittitas County, not just by rivers and
streams. Floods can occur for many reasons, including excessive rain, irrigation
canals and levees breeching or overtopping and ice jams. Citizens are encouraged
to be prepared for floods anywhere at any time.
Some steps citizens can take to become flood ready are:
- Purchase flood insurance
- Everyone lives in a flood risk area and Homeowner’s
Insurance Policies do not cover flood related damages. A
separate flood insurance policy from the National Flood
Insurance Program must be purchased to receive flood related
benefits. Flood insurance can be purchased for any property,
including properties outside of FEMA’s flood hazard areas. If
you live outside a flood hazard area, you may qualify for a
Preferred Risk Policy (http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/choose_your_policy/policy_rates.jsp#resprefBCX
 )
which is offered at a lower rate.
- Contact your homeowner’s insurance agent to purchase flood
insurance from the NFIP. Purchase flood insurance soon because
there is a 30-day waiting period on new flood insurance
policies. View this summary of coverage (http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pdfs/NFIP_Summary_of_Coverage.pdf
)
for more information or visit
http://www.floodsmart.gov
.
- Know your risk
- If you’re not sure what the risks are for property you own
or are considering buying, contact Kittitas County Public Works.
County staff can provide you with your flood risk zone. Or you
can view the County’s mapping program
COMPAS to search for
a parcel address and view the flood hazard areas. You can also
visit FEMA’s Map Service Center (http://www.msc.fema.gov/
)
or http://www.floodsmart.gov
to determine your risk.
- Floodproof your home
- For information on floodproofing your home, refer to FEMA’s
guide Homeowners Guide to Retrofitting: Six ways to floodproof
your home (http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1420
).
Floodproofing includes methods such as elevating your home above
flood levels and making your home water tight so floodwaters
cannot enter.
- Prepare your property
- Do not build or store items within the
floodplain unless they are properly elevated and anchored. Some
items around your house, such as fuel tanks, are very buoyant
and must be anchored using an approved method. HVAC systems, hot
water heaters and electrical panels should be elevated above
flood levels. Backflow valves should be installed on your sewer
lines to prevent water and sewage from flowing into your house.
- Emergency supply kit
- Even if your property is not affected by the flood waters,
flooding can affect you. Roads may be washed out, limiting your
ability to travel. Electricity and other utilities may be out.
Be prepared with an emergency supply kit. The Red Cross has a
checklist of supplies that should be in your emergency supply
kit (http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/Preparedness/checklists/Flood.pdf
).
More information about being prepared is at
http://3days3ways.org
.
- Drainage System Maintenance
- Kittitas County’s drainage system consists of a combination
of natural channels, irrigation ditches and roadside ditches.
Maintenance to these systems is necessary or they can lose their
water carrying capacity because of debris accumulation, sediment
buildup or vegetation growth. Debris such as grass clipping and
leaves may also obstruct the flow of water in ditches. It is
important for landowners to maintain the channels and ditches
that run through their property to prevent flooding. For
maintenance of ditches along County roads, please call the
Kittitas County Department of Public Works.
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