Section 1: Introduction
SECTION 5.4.3: RISK ASSESSMENT – FLOOD 5.4.3 FLOOD This section provides a profile and vulnerability assessment for the flood hazard. HAZARD PROFILE This section provides profile information including description, location, extent, previous occurrences and losses and the probability of future occurrences. Description Floods are one of the most common natural hazards in the U.S. They can develop slowly over a period of days or develop quickly, with disastrous effects that can be local (impacting a neighborhood or community) or regional (affecting entire river basins, coastlines and multiple counties or states) (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2010). Most communities in the U.S. have experienced some kind of flooding, after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms, coastal storms, or winter snow thaws (George Washington University, 2001). Floods have been and continue to be the most frequent, destructive, and costly natural hazard in the State of New Jersey. The large majority of the State’s damage reported for major disasters is associated with flooding (NJOEM, 2011). There are a number of flood categories in the U.S., which include: Riverine flooding, including overflow from a river channel, flash, alluvial fan, ice-jam, and dam breaks Local drainage or high groundwater levels Fluctuating lake levels Coastal flooding, including storm surges Debris flow (NJOEM, 2011) One hundred-year floodplains (or 1% annual A floodplain is defined as the land adjoining the channel of a chance floodplain) can be described as a bag of river, stream, ocean, lake, or other watercourse or water body 100 marbles, with 99 clear marbles and one black that becomes inundated with water during a flood.
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