WHEREAS, floods are the most common and costly natural disaster in our country; and,

WHEREAS, ninety percent of all presidential declarations of emergency and major disasters involve flooding, and on average, 100 Americans lose their lives in floods each year; and,

WHEREAS, flood damages throughout the nation annually exceed $3.9 billion, and as of December 31, 2021, flood insurance claims in Virginia totaled more than $750 million, with both direct and indirect costs of flood recovery borne by all American taxpayers, not just flood victims; and,

WHEREAS, Virginia has 2.3 million acres of mapped special flood hazard areas, which represents 9 percent of Virginia's land mass, and only 3 percent of Virginians statewide are covered by flood insurance; and,

WHEREAS, only 32 percent of people who live in a special flood hazard area have flood insurance and floods can happen without warning and all Virginians should know their risk; and

WHEREAS, people outside of high-risk areas file more than 20 percent of National Flood Insurance Program claims; and,

WHEREAS, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance program data reveals that nearly 20 percent of claims were paid in zip codes made up of at least one-quarter black residents, 13% of the U.S. population. Low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are disproportionately affected by flooding events and have a more difficult road to recovery; and,

WHEREAS, citizens can view mapped special flood hazard areas on the Virginia Flood Risk Information System available on the website of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the lead state agency responsible for administering flood-related programs; and,

WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management produces important public information on flood risk and response; and,

WHEREAS, Flood Awareness Week is intended to educate Virginians as to the potential risk to life and property from flooding and to promote flood insurance and safety precautions;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize the week of March 13-19, 2022, as FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.