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North Carolina Floods - Photo courtesy of FEMA[/caption]
Hurricane Matthew brought torrential rain to the Southeast and, days later,
flooding is still as high as ever. In Lumberton, N.C., the flood waters stretch on for 3 miles down certain streets. Princeville, N.C. was
devastated by Hurricane Floyd back in 1999; today those memories come flooding back as water levels rise to heights not seen since Floyd.
“We’re going to have to rebuild a town,”
said Princeville’s mayor.
The worst, however, is likely over, although that doesn’t necessarily mean the flooding will be done quickly. Many of the rivers in North Carolina are still cresting at record-breaking heights, and although the water levels should be dropping soon, major flooding is remains likely for many days. Fortunately, there is no rain forecast in the near future.
Hurricane Matthew’s destructive wind and storms came and went, but the lasting effects linger on. Even those out of the path of the storm are experiencing heavy flooding. In Georgia, for example,
many people were told that because they didn’t live in a flood plain, they didn’t need flood insurance.
How wrong they were.
Despite living in an area not known for flooding, countless people lost tens of thousands of dollars due to flood damage. The thing about disasters is, you never can tell when one will affect you. Those affected by floods in a non-flood plain certainly weren’t expecting it. They were even out of range of the hurricane.
When preparing for disaster, it’s wise to prepare for every scenario. Sure, some areas can rule out certain disasters, such as a hurricane hitting Utah, but what about tornadoes? Yes, they are rare, but just recently Utah experienced three tornadoes in two days. Rare doesn’t mean impossible, and being prepared for all possibilities is essential for bouncing back after a crisis.
