FLOOD
Devastating to infrastructure, farms, businesses and families, floods continue to plague many regions of the county. Preparedness and mitigation are two crucial components of addressing flooding.
Flooding on the Mississippi River in 1993 was the inspiration for EDEN, and continues to be a major focus of EDEN activity. 2011 saw another great flood on the Mississippi – prompted by a snow melt in the uplands. Now, Hurricanes Helene and Milton have wreaked havoc on many states in the southeast, serving as a reminder that at any point in time, any state may need the guidance, resources, and the knowledge and expertise that Extension professionals can provide during a time of disaster.
Check HERE for a curated list of flooding and hurricane-related resources. In addition to these flood-related resources and the ones to the right of this page, we will continually update this page with new resources related to recovery assistance resources from our national partners.
Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (NIFA)
Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (NIFA)
Hurricane Recovery Assistance (USDA)
Hurricane Helene Disaster Resources (Angus Beef Bulletin)
Emergency Watershed Protection(NRCS)
Hurricane Preparation and Recovery Commodity Guides (Climate Hubs/USDA)
With each major flooding, the EDEN Chair communicates with Extension in the affected states, offering EDEN assistance and reminding them of the resources available.
EDEN takes that opportunity, too, to refresh its pages and to add resources specifically requested by the affected states – to pages and to its Resource Catalog. EDEN also works closely with its primary partner agency, NIFA, to ensure that USDA knows how Extension has been affected and how Extension is serving its communities. EDEN Response Notes is the EDEN system for finding out if our Extension members need any type of assistance with disaster response and recovery, and learning about their response and recovery activities.
Read About Response Notes to learn why and how they are used. Enter your Response Note using the online form below.
Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters–except fire. Most communities in the United States have experienced some kind of flooding, after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms, winter snow thaws, unusual rise of lakes, or surge of oceans and seas as a result of hurricanes or tsunamis.
Floods can be slow rising, especially in areas of broad expanses of flat land, where rains make their way down river, causing overflow of the banks and backflow into feeder streams. They can rise rapidly – in the mountains, at the foot of mountain streams, and during a storm surge. Just as waters may rise rapidly or slowly, the flow of floodwater may be fast or slow. If you are faced with fighting floods or trying to prevent future damage, you need to know what type of flooding occurs in your area.
For flood insurance purposes, a flood is defined as “a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties…from:
Floods have impacts in agriculture (land, crops, harvests) and the built environment (homes and offices). Because of these physical impacts, there is a secondary impact on mental health, as well as family and business finances. Impacts can be reduced by Extension education immediately before, after and between floods.
In addition to knowing the nature of the flood, it is important to understand that a given flood-fight or mitigation technique proven to work on one soil type may not work on another; and that a home flood proofing project suitable for one climate and style of construction may not be suitable in another.
It is relatively easy, using the Internet or the library, to find solutions to flood problems, many of which can be employed by homeowners and small business owners. Educators and consumers should always check with your local experts and officials when selecting a flood protection system, to see what local conditions and factors may influence the success of your proposed solution.
Extension also has a role in reducing future flood damage and aiding communities in their flood damage prevention programs while working within traditional Extension program areas. Some examples would include:
If your Extension Service provides training for newly elected community officials, the impacts of including flood-risk management in the curriculum could be enormous.
