Floods And Mudflows Often Follow Fires
Release Date: November 6, 2003
Release Number: 1498-13
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Pasadena, CA - Now that the fires have been contained and California has entered the rainy season, state and federal disaster officials encourage homeowners within the five declared county areas of Southern California to purchase flood insurance as soon as possible.
"After wildland fires, mudflows and landslides follow," said Dallas Jones, state coordinating officer, Office of Emergency Services. "Even a normal rainy season can result in numerous cases of widespread flooding in burn areas after these wildfires."
Wildfires greatly reduce the amount of vegetation, which in turn reduces the amount of rainwater absorption. In addition, vegetation burn-off destabilizes hillsides. This reduction in vegetation results in excessive water runoff, which often includes large amounts of debris, dirt and other sediments. Structures located anywhere near a burn area are susceptible to flooding.
"Homeowners, business owners and renters can protect themselves by purchasing federally backed flood insurance, as long as their community participates in the National Flood Insurance program (NFIP)," said William Carwile, Federal Coordinating Officer for the disaster recovery effort.
Flood policies are sold and serviced by private insurance agents and backed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The policies cover flooding and mudflow, but do not cover landslides. Residents having difficulties obtaining a flood insurance policy should call 1-888-FLOOD29. Flooding is not covered in a homeowner's insurance policy, and there is a 30-day waiting period before the policy takes effect.
Those affected by the wildfires are also encouraged to register for federal and state assistance by calling FEMA's toll-free registration number: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 1-800-462-7585 for those who are speech- or hearing-impaired. Recovery specialists are available to take calls from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily.
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring the state's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade, and war-caused emergencies and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Friday, 07-Nov-2003 07:50:53