State Police Encourage Michiganders to Prepare for Flooding

With the official start of spring today, and a warm up hopefully right around the corner, the Michigan State Police is encouraging residents to be prepared for flooding.

There was some serious flooding in Flint last year that displaced many residents from their homes, and with Michigan warming up after the winter's record-breaking snow and cold, the National Weather Service is forecasting a 40 to 90 percent flood risk for the state. The MSP says "now is the time to think about flooding preparedness and safety."

Some of the tips the MSP says will help you be better prepared for a flood include:

• Create an emergency preparedness kit.
• Scan and store important documents on an online, cloud-based program or a flash drive you can easily take with you.
• Put all important documents in a water proof container and store it on the top floor of your home.
• Create an inventory of your household items and take pictures of the inside and outside of your home.
• Double check sump pumps to make sure they are working properly.
• Determine how many feet your property is above or below possible flood levels, that way you can determine if you will be flooded.
• Check your insurance and see if it covers flooding. Homeowners' or property owners' insurance typically DOES NOT cover flood damage.

For more tips and information on what to do before, during and after flooding, go to the Michigan Flood Ready website at: www.michigan.gov/mifloodready