(Detroit, MI, Tuesday, August 3, 2021) – The catastrophic failure of two dams in central Michigan last year illustrates how devasting dam failures can be for people, property and power in several midwestern states. The risks are real and rising.
The consequences of dam failures pose significant flood risk for many residents and can lead to thousands of homes being destroyed – and very few people in these areas are aware of their flood risks.
While dam-related disasters have a very low perceived occurrence (or reoccurrence) rate, they can and do fail. This was the reality just last year for residents in Michigan when a major disaster was declared due to the failure of the Edenville Dam and Sanford Dams, which caused massive flooding and led to more than 10,000 people having to evacuate and more than 2,000 homes being damaged or destroyed.
Just after the one-year anniversary of the presidential disaster declaration, residents should know that securing flood insurance is the best way to protect the life they’ve built.
With flood insurance, residents have one less thing to worry about when a flood damages their home and destroys their contents. People can learn more about the risk to their community and how to secure flood insurance by visiting FloodSmart.gov.
FEMA Regional Flood Insurance Liaison James Sink discusses flood risks and how residents can act.
- If you wait to purchase a policy until after a flood event begins, your property won’t be protected from the damage caused by that flood event.
- Flood insurance policies typically take 30 days to go into effect.
- Just an inch of water in your home can cause up to $25,000 in damage.
- You can contact your insurance agent or visit FloodSmart.gov to learn more about your flood risk and flood insurance options.