Spring showers bring bright green grass, colorful blossoms and the potential for floods. Here are several simple – and free! – ways you can make sure you’re prepared for potential flooding.

Knowing your flood risk is hugely important to being properly prepared. The City of Lenexa can give you helpful information including:

• Whether the property is located in a Flood Hazard Area as shown on the current Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and the site’s FIRM zone. This information from FEMA can help you understand your property’s flood risk.
• Base flood elevation or depth
• Whether the property is in or near an area of historic flooding.

You’ll find many helpful flooding resources at RainToRecreation.org. If you have specific questions about whether your property is in a flood plain, flood depth data or property protection measures, you can call Stormwater Engineer Tom Jacobs at 913.477.7644.

Applying for a mortgage or home loan? We can give you a handout on the flood insurance purchase requirements for properties in the Flood Hazard Area. Flood insurance is required for federally backed loans.

Keep your valuables elevated, especially items like important documents. If flooding is a concern on your property, retrofitting techniques like elevating structures or HVAC systems can provide additional protection.

Think about if there are any flood-prone areas on your routes to home, work, school and other important destinations, and plan an alternate route to those places. Never drive or walk into floodwater. Just a few inches of water can sweep away a person or vehicle.