Flooding happens - It is one of nature’s unpredictable acts. Flooding can happen to any property anytime. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your home:

• Keep an inventory of your valuables by making a list or taking a video of your possessions in and around your home.
• Keep this in a safe place. Keep important papers (insurance policy, receipts, warranties, mortgage papers, etc.) somewhere high and dry, like a safe deposit box in a bank or store them on the top shelf of your closet.

If flooding does occur, stay away from electrical outlets, appliances, and any outdoor downed wires. For power outage help call FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE.

Avoid driving through flooded streets. A car can hydroplane on wet roadways. It takes less than two feet of water to lift up and move a car.

Purchasing flood insurance can save you thousands in the event of a flood. Flood insurance costs approximately three hundred fi fty dollars a year. The damages from a flood of only two inches can cause approximately seventy eight hundred dollars in repairs and replacement cost. For more information on the cost of flooding go to the offi cial computer site for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at www.floodsmart.gov.

Contact your insurance carrier for information on purchasing flood insurance. If you need help in fi nding a flood insurance company you can call the National Flood Insurance Program at: 1-888-435-6637or 1-888-379-9531.

For information on flood safety go to: www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/fl_during.shtm and www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/fl_after.shtm