I doubt that there are many of us who have not seen the photos of houses being torn apart and washed downstream by flood waters in the Midwest. I have to sit and wonder, were those people in the path of the flood prepared? More aptly stated, did the people whose homes were flooded know their flood risk?

The flooding that is flashing across our TV screens is not unheard of, beyond belief or unpredictable. Nationwide, flooding is increasing for a number of reasons.

Changes in rainfall patterns are occurring. It makes no difference if you think it is caused by global warming or some other phenomenon. The reality is that while average yearly rainfall may remain fairly constant, rain events are less frequent but involve more intense storms. It is not uncommon to hear reports of a storm that dropped enormous amounts of rain in an area in a short period of time, or about storm events that caused dams or retention ponds to overflow for the first time. Also not uncommon are reports of major flooding, dam failures and community devastation where levees breach or fail or where raging rivers overtop their banks.

As development brings about vast changes to watersheds by converting farmland and forest to rooftops and big-box parking lots, less water soaks into the earth and more rain runs into our creeks, streams and rivers. This increase in stormwater runoff —- the amount of water from each rainfall event —- into our streams results in an increase in flood heights during even the smallest of storm events.

It is very important that we regulate development so that it is on higher ground than tomorrow's flood, not yesterday's flood. Flood heights are increasing and will continue to increase. When a new flood map is produced for any given area, it will likely show higher flood levels. This is reality, and it is important that communities use that better data for regulation. Property owners should be made aware of the increased flood levels so that they know their true risk.

Further, while many people seem to think it can only flood within the boundaries of that 100-year floodplain on the flood map, there is flood risk above and beyond that relatively common and often small floodplain.

Just ask the folks who have lost their homes in areas that are outside the mapped floodplain —- areas that may have been above the 100-year flood level but were not safe from a larger, more intense storm. Larger storms are occurring now and will continue to occur in the future. Each and every property is subject to some risk of flooding. It just depends on how big the flood must be to impact each of them.

It is important to note that nationally, more than one-third of the flood insurance claims in recent years were outside the 100-year floodplain shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map.

There are ways that property owners can protect their lives and property:

> Buy flood insurance. Anyone, anywhere, can buy flood insurance as long as their community has joined and complies with the minimal requirements of the National Flood Insurance program. A primary responsibility of your community is public safety. Flood safety is no different than fire or police safety. Insist that your community leaders join and comply with the NFIP.

> If you live in or anywhere near water, know your flood risk. Also, know how to evacuate. Homes and possessions can be replaced, but life is precious and cannot.

> Avoid building in floodplains. Plan wisely and develop wisely.

> Don't build in a way that pushes flood water on other people's property. That is not a good neighbor policy and may potentially create liability for you as a property owner.

> Do not drive through floodwater. Driving through floodwater causes the most deaths from floods. Please remember that as little as 6 inches of water can float a vehicle. Do not walk through floodwater, either —- moving water can and will sweep people off their feet.

After the water recedes from these most recent floods, communities and property owners will consider what they can do to reduce the loss of property and life from the next flood.

Only by accepting personal and community responsibility now, and effectively planning for the future, will we reduce the adverse impacts of flooding for ourselves and generations to come.

> Terri Turner is chair of the Georgia Association of Floodplain Management.

 JORDIN ISIP / United Features Syndicate