Ever since the feds declared Sacramento “the worst flood risk of any major metropolitan area in the nation” everyone has been all abuzz about the F-word. The five-letter F-word, that is: F-L-O-O-D.
I was listening to 107.9 FM on Friday when The Wake Up Call show referred to the Sacramento Bee‘s article about flood planning and asked listeners, “Does this scare you?”
For the most part, callers did not fear the F-word. In fact, one young woman quipped, “This is the river city after all!” Good point.
Out of curiosity, I looked online for Sacramento’s flood history and this is what I found on the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency website. The site also has a great explanation of the city’s flood threat along with area river and stream conditions and flood protection projects past, present and planned.
The city’s Department of Utilities also has a website with flood maps, links to its “Be Flood Ready” brochure, and information about flood insurance.
Not long after buying our North Natomas home in 2001, we decided to get flood insurance despite assurances by the developer we were living in a low-risk area. Hurricane Katrina and the attention it brought to our city’s own levee system prompted my husband to assemble a flood emergency kit for our family.
Readers of the Sacramento Bee pretty much agree city officials are lame for denying the North Natomas flood risk. Check out their letters here.
Now we wait and watch what will happen next.
First-rate reporting with a personal perspective on a crucial issue that local residents had better not leave up to mainstream media. You ought to get a public service award for this.
Thanks for giving the sites to review flood history and more. It is easy to argue one side or the other but it seems that none of us are completely informed – this was a big help!