Preparing for next flood is easier than cleaning up after it; Guest Column
'It's cheaper to use today's dollars instead of tomorrow's dollars when there is a crisis."
Alderman
As a participant at last week's
For every
In 2017,
Numbers do matter. They translate into dollars spent, hours volunteered, properties protected and lives affected.
Following administrator Long's remarks,
Translated to communities seeking preparedness grants, volunteer hours substantially leverage local, state and federal funding.
Properties protected translates into buildings saved and value preserved. According to Climate Central's Surging Seas Risk Finder, in Anne Arundel County 6,006 buildings valued at
What about lives affected? There are 12,914 people living in the county's flood zone. Of that population, 17 percent are categorized as lower-income, socially vulnerable residents. That number does not count individuals with jobs in flood zones.
In Annapolis alone, there are 73 business with
These numbers tell us a lot. They tell us we have jobs, property values, businesses and family economies at risk.
Administrator Long remarked on what was learned from hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria: "We've got to teach our citizens that they are the true first responder for every event we face. You the citizen are the one who takes responsibility for the first action."
To that end I encourage every property owner, business and employee who is at risk to take action. Don't wait for the government, particularly when it comes to being prepared. Assess what it is you have at risk and invest the time and resources into building greater resilience.
Remember, anywhere it rains, it can flood. Take personal responsibility.
If you own or rent a home, buy flood insurance, have a communications plan and prepare an emergency kit. Download the
If you own a business, develop a business continuity plan, purchase business interruption insurance, and establish an employee assistance program that can help employees and families get access to medical care, food, housing and other essentials in the case of a disaster.
If you own property, maintain your building so that extreme precipitation events don't result in roof leaks and basement flooding that can destroy valuable possessions. If you're in a flood zone, seek professional help on floodproofing methods to minimize or avoid flood damage.
And yes, as Alderman Arnett said, advocate for the city of Annapolis to hire a resilience officer to implement the Weather It Together plan, which outlines how citizens can learn more about protecting their most important financial assets, be it their home, business or job.
Credit:
Experts: Cape Cod should prepare for the worst hurricanes
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