NOAA: Nearly half of U.S. at risk of spring flooding

Conditions could become dangerous in several different regions of the country.

Floodwaters from the overflowing Salinas River washed over a truck during rain storms in California in January 2023. (Josh Edelson/Bloomberg)

Although the heavy rain and snow to hit the west coast in recent weeks may ease drought conditions there, California could see dangerous flooding this spring, NOAA experts said this week.

And that state won’t be alone.

Roughly 44% of the U.S. is at risk of spring flooding, Ed Clark, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Center, told reporters recently. The eastern U.S. faces flood risk due in part to a swollen Mississippi River, and the western U.S. could see waters rise as historic snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains begins to melt. This could spell trouble in Californian in particular, where the soil is already waterlogged from winter’s atmospheric rivers.

The Midwest also saw record snowfall in recent months, according to meteorologists.

Flooding is the most common and expensive natural disaster in the U.S., according to NOAA. However a recent survey conducted on behalf of Erie Insurance found that only a small percentage of homeowners recognize the danger of flooding to their properties and families.

“There are several things homeowners can do to prevent water damage, like redirecting water away from their homes, sealing roofs and making sure plumbing systems are well maintained,” Erie Insurance Vice President of Product Management Michelle Tennant said in a press release about the organization’s recent flood survey. “But they should also talk with their insurance agent to make sure they’re covered in the unfortunate event that damage does occur.”

Although recent statements from NOAA were specific to the coming season, the agency points out that flood risk is present year-round. There also are different types of flood hazards about which individuals and businesses should be aware. These include:

Each of these present a unique danger and call for distinct mitigation measures.

See also:

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