Live in a Flood Area?

Here’s How to Prepare

From post-wildfire flooding to extreme snowmelt, there are numerous reasons that residents of Coconino County may experience flooding. It’s important to know the flood risk of your area, which can usually be determined by reviewing FEMA flood maps at www.fema.gov/flood-maps

However FEMA maps will not portray flood risk caused by wildfire, which impacts thousands of residents in the Flagstaff area and Coconino County For more information about post-wildfire flood area, please visit www coconino az gov/1450/Flood-Control-District.

If you do reside in a flood area, there are crucial steps you should take before, during, and after flooding to help protect your health and safety

Before Flooding

SHORT-TERM MITIGATION

If you expect flooding, one of the best things you can do to protect your home is to construct short-term mitigation. Most often,this means building a sandbag wall For post-wildfire flood areas the Coconino County Flood Control District has engineered spe- cific recommendations regarding the height and placement of sandbag walls that can be found at www coconino.az.gov/2929/

Recommended-Flood-Mitigation-Exhibits The same site also contains information about how to obtain sandbags from one the free pick-up points

When building a sandbag wall, here are some key things to keep in mind:

„ Only use a sandbag wall to protect a residence, not a property line or outbuilding Sandbags are a limited resource and the impact of floodwaters is lessened when water can spread out use public sandbag resources efficiently by focusing on the protection of your home and letting floodwaters spread on your property as much as possible.

„ Use the pyramid placement method. Place the sandbags to form a pyramid by altering header courses (bags placed crosswise) and stretcher courses (bags placed lengthwise). Stamp each bag in place, overlap sacks, maintain staggered joint placement, and tuck in any loose ends

„ For more information visit www coconino az gov/PipelineSandbagInfo.

SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS

Before flooding occurs walk your property and secure all loose objects Objects like chairs tables BBQs etc will become dangerous floating objects during a flash flood.

CLEAR DRAINAGES

Remember to clear out any drainages of obstructions such as downed trees, sediment, and debris Driveway culverts are the responsibility of property owners If you have a driveway culvert, please make sure that it is clear enough for water to flow through it.

LOCATE UTILITIES

Know where your electrical circuit breaker panel, gas, and water shutoffs are located and how to turn these utilities off in case of emergency

PREPARE YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM FOR A FLOOD

Make sure all septic tanks are full. High-water season is not the

Please see FLOOD Page L11

For longer than Arizona’s statehood, we have prioritized providing reliable energy to the state’s growing population. Historically, our crews have prepared for northern Arizona’s harshest winter weather, ensuring line workers and outage restoration equipment are ready to respond to severely snowy conditions Today, our crews across the state must also prepare for wildfires

As wildfires become a year-round concern in northern Arizona’s forests and throughout the state, we have developed a comprehensive fire mitigation plan to prevent, mitigate, and respond to wildfires The plan includes strategies to prevent and reduce wildfires mitigate impacts on infrastructure, and implement a quick and effective power restoration response.

Our comprehensive fire mitigation plan employs several year-round tactics to prepare for elevated fire conditions including:

Clearing vegetation and other potential hazards from around our equipment. Working with local fire departments and the Forest Service on wildfire safety plans, including creating and following protocols to use in the event of a wildfire.

„ Partnering with communities to increase awareness about reducing fire risks „ Visually inspecting power poles and other electrical equipment on a regular basis.

Protocols protect firefighters, communities

We recognize that in times of extreme fire conditions, appropriate actions must be taken to protect the communities we serve, first responders, natural resources, and the electrical infrastructure that customers rely on during every season

In times of an active fire we work closely with fire departments to ensure the safety of those responding to the fire In such cases, we may need to de-energize overhead power lines to protect the firefighters working underneath and around the lines

While we understand that any disruption of power is an inconvenience to customers, these protocols put the safety of first responders, communities, and field crews first.

To prepare for outages, we encourage customers to update their contact information online to receive outage alerts in their area In addition, customers can download the free APS mobile app or visit aps.com/outagecenter to access our outage map The outage map provides real-time information such as estimated time of restoration and cause of the outage. If a public safety emergency or pro- longed power outage occurs, emergency shelter, and ice reimbursement information can also be found on the map.

Most wildfires are preventable

Every year 9 out of 10 wildfires are human caused, which means that they may be preventable. We encourage the public to take the following steps to help prevent fires and protect their property:

„ When working outdoors, always have a water source and shovel nearby and never leave a fire unattended.

„ Know before you go—check fire restriction information if you’re camping.

If allowed, always put out a campfire completely by making sure it’s cool to the touch before you walk away

„ When towing a vehicle, make sure tow chains are secured and don’t have the potential to drag before you hit the road

„ Create defensible space on your property by clearing vegetation around your home and avoid planting any vegetation within a 10-foot radius around utility equipment on your property.

While fire conditions will begin to improve in the coming months it’s never too late or too early to prepare and practice active involvement in preventing wildfires in order to protect our state’s natural resources and communities.

Additional resources and information on how we prepare and respond to wildfires are available at aps.com/wildfiresafety