National Weather Service Raw Text Product

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
114 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

...FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK 2012 - MARCH 15...

...FLOOD RISK AND FLOOD INSURANCE...

EVERYONE LIVES IN A FLOOD ZONE...WITH RISK RANGING FROM LOW TO 
MODERATE TO HIGH.  OVER A TYPICAL 30-YEAR HOME MORTGAGE...FLOODS ARE 
NEARLY THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR THAN A FIRE.  EVEN LOW AND 
MODERATE HAZARD FLOOD AREAS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO DAMAGE...ABOUT ONE IN 
THREE FLOOD INSURANCE CLAIMS EACH YEAR ARE PAID TO HOMEOWNERS LIVING 
OUTSIDE OF HIGH-RISK AREAS.

FLOOD LOSSES TYPICALLY ARE NOT COVERED IN HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE 
POLICIES...AND JUST A FEW INCHES OF WATER CAN CAUSE THOUSANDS OF 
DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.  THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE 
PROGRAM...NFIP...ENABLES HOMEOWNERS...RENTERS...AND BUSINESS OWNERS 
TO PURCHASE FLOOD INSURANCE AS LONG AS THEIR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATES 
IN THE NFIP.  COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATE BY ADOPTING AND ENFORCING 
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ORDINANCES TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FLOODING.  IT 
TAKES 30 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE FOR A POLICY TO TAKE EFFECT...SO IT IS 
IMPORTANT TO BUY INSURANCE BEFORE FLOODS THREATEN. 

THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY'S FLOODSMART CAMPAIGN 
PROMOTES THE IDEA THAT ALL AMERICANS SHOULD KNOW THEIR FLOOD RISK. 
FLOOD RISK IS BASED ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS...INCLUDING 
RAINFALL...RIVER FLOW AND TIDAL SURGE DATA...TOPOGRAPHY...FLOOD 
CONTROL MEASURES AND CHANGES DUE TO BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT.  FLOOD 
HAZARD MAPS...AVAILABLE THROUGH FEMA...CAN ALSO HELP CONSUMERS 
DETERMINE THEIR RISK AND CHOOSE APPROPRIATE FLOOD INSURANCE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE NFIP WEB SITE...WWW.FLOODSMART.GOV

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES 
(USE LOWERCASE):

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY

$$

VIII.