Did you know that...
- Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States.
- Roughly 200 Americans die each year due to flooding.
- 90 percent of all presidential declarations of emergency or major disaster involve flooding.
- On average, flood damages throughout the nation annually exceed $3 billion; in Virginia, flood caused damages averaged more than $100 million between 1983 to 1997.
- The financial impact of flood damages are felt by all taxpayers, not just flood victims.
Source: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2006
Direct Costs of Flooding Rescue/relief efforts Emergency preparedness Clean-up operations Rebuilding public utilities and facilities Rebuilding uninsured homes and businesses |
Indirect Costs of Flooding Lost wages, sales, and production of business Construction, operation, and maintenance of flood control works Cost of loans for reconstructing damaged facilities Tax base declines in flood blight areas Flood insurance subsidies |