FEMA URGES NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS

TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING

TAKE STOCK OF HOMES AND VALUABLES

New York, NY. – The National Weather Service is predicting severe storms in the New York and Jersey area beginning Sunday night and continuing into Monday. This storm is being compared to the 1992 Nor’easter that caused extensive damage throughout the area. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today urged residents to prepare for possible flooding.

Residents can begin to take steps now to protect their home and assets from rising floodwaters at any time.

• Reduce your home’s flood risk through home maintenance or improvements:

• Make sure gutters and drains are cleared. Clean and maintain storm drains and gutters, and remove debris from your property to allow free flow of potential floodwater.

• Move valuables and sentimental items to the highest floor of your home or business.

• Install backflow valves in waste lines to keep water flowing in one direction.

• Protect your well from contamination.

• Anchor or elevate fuel tanks and elevate the main breaker or fuse box and the utility meters above the anticipated flood level in your home or business, so that floodwater won’t damage your utilities.

• Make sure you have the right insurance: Review your insurance policies and find out what they do and do not cover. Learn the difference between replacement cost coverage versus standard coverage, which only pays the actual cash value of insured property. Be sure that you have enough insurance to cover recent home renovations or improvements. Know that most homeowners insurance polices do not cover flood damage, so be sure to consider flood insurance for both your structure and its contents. There is typically a 30 day wait for a flood insurance policy to take effect. Learn more by visiting www.FloodSmart.gov and www.Fema.gov.

• Plan for evacuation: Plan and practice a flood evacuation route. Ask someone out of state to be your “family contact” in an emergency, and make sure everyone knows the contact’s address and phone number.

• Build an emergency supply kit: Food, bottled water, first aid supplies, medicines and a battery-operated radio should be ready to go when you are. Visit www.ready.gov for a complete disaster supply checklist.

• Inventory your household possessions: For insurance purposes, be sure to keep a written and visual (i.e., videotaped or photographed) record of all major household items and valuables, even those stored in basements, attics or garages. Create files that include serial numbers and store receipts for major appliances and electronics. Have jewelry and artwork appraised. These documents are critically important when filing insurance claims. For help in conducting a home inventory, visit www.knowyourstuff.org.

• Protect important financial documents: Store copies of irreplaceable financial and family documents in a safe place, preferably one that is protected from both fire and water. Documents include automobile titles, tax records, stock and bond certificates, deeds, wills, trust agreements, birth and marriage certificates, photos, passports and insurance policies. Keep originals in a rented safe deposit box. And don’t forget the household inventory file!

Flood insurance is available through nearly 100 insurance companies in more than 20,200 participating communities nationwide. Everyone can purchase flood insurance – renters, business owners, and homeowners. The average flood insurance policy costs around $500 a year. And in low- to moderate-risk areas, lower-cost Preferred Risk Policies (PRPs) start at just $112 a year. Individuals can learn more about their flood risk and how to protect their property by visiting FloodSmart.gov or by calling 1-800-427-2419.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.