Flood Facts

What can flooding look like?

What are the dangers of flooding?

Flooding is the #1 natural disaster in the United States. Floods can cause power, water, and gas outages; disrupt transportation routes and commercial supplies; pollute drinking water systems; and damage homes, buildings, and roads. Just one inch of floodwater can cause major damage and require costly repairs or replacement to drywall, insulation, wood floors, or carpeting.

Are you at risk?

Anywhere it can rain, it can flood! People living outside of high-risk flood zones file more than 20 percent of all National Flood Insurance Program claims. Flooding can occur anywhere. It is important to pay attention to local authorities on flood risk in your area and be mindful of water levels of nearby streams, ponds, wetlands, and drainage infrastructure (grates, stormwater ponds).

What can you do?

Be informed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides a free informational guide for many disaster situations, including flooding. This document can be viewed at fema.gov/related-link/are-you-ready-guide-citizen-preparedness.

Be prepared.

Make a plan for your household, including your pets, so that you and your family know what to do, where to go, and what you will need to protect yourselves from flooding. A planning checklist can be found at ready.gov/plan. North St. Paul participates in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), enabling eligible property owners, renters, and businesses to purchase flood insurance.

Be proactive.

Reduce flood vulnerability by incorporating flood prevention practices at your home. This could include cleaning storm drain inlets near your home, preparing sandbags, floodproofing and sealing, pumping low areas, or constructing and maintaining a rain garden.