Flood Safety Awareness Week

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, floods are the most common and costly natural disasters in our country and can result in loss of life; and

WHEREAS, ninety percent of all presidential declarations of emergency and major disasters involve flooding; and

WHEREAS, on average, flood damages throughout the nation annually exceed $8.9 billion, and as of January 29, 2024, flood insurance claims in Virginia totaled more than $758 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, floods can happen without warning and all Virginians should know their risk and take steps now to make sure their family is prepared; and

WHEREAS, Virginians 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 Safety Awareness Week is intended to educate all residents of Virginia on the potential risk to life and property from flooding and to encourage individuals to take action to prepare their home and family long before water starts to rise;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 4-10, 2024, as FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations