Sure, many homes and families on the Middle Peninsula and across rural coastal Virginia have yet to experience flooding. If you haven’t had water where it’s not supposed to be, you’ve been lucky. But times, as they say, are a 'changin.'

And the facts are the facts. Here goes…

1. Floods are the most common natural hazards. And we’re not alone – 90 percent of all natural disasters in the U.S. involve some type of flooding. But not every flood is catastrophic. Smaller, more frequent flooding degrades infrastructure and can damage roads and building foundations over time. Communities suffer school closures, traffic interruptions, and continuing cost and inconvenience due to this “nuisance flooding.”
2. Anywhere it can rain, it can flood. Period. High-risk areas have a chance of experiencing a flood over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Over the past 70 years, heavy rainfall events have become more intense and frequent in our area and will only continue to increase Based on previous records, it is also likely that water levels will be higher than the average daily high tide when a rainfall event occurs.
3. Floods can come from overflowing or accumulating waters, which can be caused by rainfall. There are many causes of flooding, and rainfall is one of them. Another is storm surge. But remember, it doesn’t need to be raining to flood. Nuisance or “sunny day” flooding can be caused by high tide and the direction the wind is blowing.
4. The damage from just one inch of water can cost more than $25,000. In the average one-story house with 2,500 square feet, one inch of water inside the home could mean $23,000 house costs and more than $3,000 personal-property costs.
5. Low risk does not mean no risk. Claims to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) have been for properties outside of high-risk, mapped flood zones.

Want to protect yourself? Register now to become a member of the Fight the Flood program and gain access to more information, tools to finance efforts to protect your property and get the help you need to fight the flood.