Flooding in Fredville
Past floods around the city show why caution matters.
- Wrenfield Parkway at the interstate, 2015. Driving into high water puts your own life in danger and endangers the crews who will have to rescue you.
- Brindle Road, 2010. A foot of moving water can float a small car, and a foot and a half can carry off a larger vehicle. Never risk a flooded road. Turn Around, Don't Drown!
- Under the Tamsworth Road bridge. On average, vehicles account for more than half of all flood deaths each year.
- Kestrel Line Road, 2010. Flash floods do more weather-related damage than any other hazard.
- Citywide flooding, 2015. Going around a barricade is illegal and puts both drivers and rescuers at risk.
- Fredville Development Center, 2009. This building flooded even though it sits outside the mapped floodplain. Flood insurance is available to any homeowner or renter, not only those in a floodplain.
- Home damage, 2015. Flash flooding remains the leading cause of weather damage.
- A Wrenfield Parkway intersection, 2010. Knowing when dangerous weather is on the way can save your life. Check the National Weather Service forecast each morning to see whether a flood threat is expected where you live.
- Drainage crew. City drainage crews are on call day and night whenever heavy rain falls.
Before a Flood
- Call the Stormwater Department at (555) 010-2124 to learn how your area has flooded in the past. Staff can explain why the same spots keep flooding, describe the city's current drainage work and suggest a sensible level of protection. They can also visit your property to go over protection options with you.
- Get ready ahead of time:
- Learn how to shut off the power and gas to your home.
- Write down emergency phone numbers and pick a safe place to go.
- Make an inventory of what you own.
- Keep insurance policies, important papers and medications somewhere safe.
- Write a family disaster plan and pack enough emergency supplies to last 72 hours. The regional emergency preparedness website and the American Red Cross both explain how.
- Consider permanent protection:
- Label your fuse box to show which circuits feed areas that could flood. Cutting power to those spaces can prevent fires and save lives.
- Look into flood walls, berms and similar measures.
- Some projects require a permit, so check first with the Stormwater Department at (555) 010-2124 or Building Inspections at (555) 010-2235.
- Download FEMA's free retrofitting guide for homeowners, which describes six ways to floodproof a house.
- Ask the Stormwater Department about financial help:
- If you want to elevate your building above flood level, or are willing to sell the property to Fredville, federal grants obtained by the city may pay for part of the cost.
- A flood policy helps pay for repairs and, in some cases, part of the cost of raising a building that was substantially damaged.
- Buy flood insurance:
- Standard homeowner's policies exclude flood damage. Some owners already have flood coverage because a lender required it for a mortgage or home improvement loan.
- Do not wait for the next storm. Coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program usually starts 30 days after you buy it.
- Your insurance agent can walk you through rates and coverage.
During and After a Flood
- Heed every warning, from road signs to radio and TV weather updates.
- Sign up for AlertFV to get emergency notifications.
- Have a licensed electrician, plumber or other professional inspect and restore your power, water and gas.
- Stay out of floodwater. It can carry pollutants, sharp debris such as nails and glass, and animals such as snakes and fire ants.
- Floodwater is usually murky, so its depth is hard to judge. Never drive through it. Turn around, don't drown!
- If an evacuation is ordered, follow the instructions from the city's Emergency Management Department. Leaving promptly protects you, your neighbors and the responders who would otherwise have to come for you.
Quick Links
- The regional emergency preparedness website
- The federal Ready campaign's flood guidance, covering what to do when the National Weather Service issues a flood watch or warning
- AlertFV, the city's emergency notification sign-up
- Texas Water Development Board pages on the National Flood Insurance Program, flood safety and flood mitigation planning
- FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, to check your property's flood zone and risk level
- FEMA's retrofitting guide for homeowners and its full online resource library
- American Red Cross guidance on building a disaster preparedness plan
- Texas Floodplain Management Association
- National Flood Insurance Program guides on what renters' and homeowners' policies cover, why flood insurance matters, avoiding flood losses, finding advocates after a flood and starting a claim
- Flood warnings and disaster preparedness
- Know your flood hazard
- Flood crossing gates
- Fredville real-time gauge data
- FEMA flood insurance rate maps
Fredville is a demonstration city built by Talk to Fred. Names, numbers and details on this page are sample content.