Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States. Flood effects can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and multiple states.

Flooding is no joke, and is responsible for over $5 billion worth of property damage a year. Bear in mind that when we are talking about floods, we aren't talking about the sort of damage caused by hurricane storm surges and tsunamis in coastal areas. These present an additional set of risks that are not covered here. Flooding otherwise refers to the sort of damage seen from heavy rain or melting snow in low lying area, especially next to rivers.

If you live in a low lying area, especially near a river or water source, be sure to read Ray Gibson's excellent Insuring Against Floods. Flood insurance is a complicated thing, and is often NOT covered by normal insurance policies. Please be sure to read this to determine if you are at risk and what options you have.

Based on findings from Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) field tests of flood-damage-resistant housing materials, PATH compiled the following recommendations to help the flood recovery process. Note: The ORNL study did not examine the impact of contaminated flood water.

Nothing is worse than the aftermath of a home flood and the frustrations of confronting the basement.

Here are some common myths and misconceptions about flood insurance...

Most major levees protecting urban areas were built to US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) standards. BUT recent history and the reputation of USACE have lead to the common misconception that areas protected by levees are outside the floodplain...