The Santa Clara Valley Water District launched its award-winning annual flood awareness campaign this month. Every year, the campaign seeks to educate Santa Clara County residents about existing flood risks in our region and preparedness measures families can take to be flood-ready.
Our campaign theme this year is “Climate Changed.” With the recently published Fourth National Climate Assessment, there could not be a better time to have this conversation. According to the federal report, intense extreme weather and climate-related events are becoming more frequent and will have catastrophic impacts on vulnerable communities, infrastructure, ecosystems and our economy. Extreme storm events could result in more frequent and severe flooding in our region.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District is committed to reducing the risk of flooding and keeping our communities safe. But we can’t eliminate all risks, and not with the looming impacts of climate change. We must adapt. We must prepare. Being informed and aware of risks is the first step.
The flood awareness campaign kicked off with the distribution of the annual floodplain mailer. This extensive, multi-lingual piece on flood safety and emergency preparedness is delivered to homes and businesses in FEMA-designated flood zones. This year’s edition of the floodplain mailer features a countywide poster that displays streams and FEMA flood zones.
The water district’s flood-ready website is a hub of flood protection resources with important flood safety tips, information on sandbags and distribution sites, as well as phone numbers to report creek blockages and street flooding. Head over to valleywater.org/floodready to determine whether your home is in a flood zone and learn how to stay safe before, during and after a storm.
Valley Water News 