Flood awareness week highlights importance of home insurance

It may not have come during a better week as the nation braces for the potential for flooding across the lower 48 states this spring.

March 15 to 19 is Flood Safety Awareness Week, which is a time when homeowners should look over their plans in the event of an emergency. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, those plans would include how to communicate in a flood, getting an emergency kit together and keeping valuable papers in a safe place.

FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said that homeowners should also consider investing in home insurance that protects against flood damage.

"Most flood insurance policies take 30 days to become effective, so the time to take action is now," Fugate said.

Given a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, some people may want to take Fugate’s advice to heart. NOAA said that one-third of the lower 48 states may face a high-risk of flooding this spring due to increased snow and rain falls.

NOAA said areas that face a particular risk for flooding this spring include the Midwest, the East and the South.