Water woes 101

Catalog high-value items like firearms, electronics and jewelry around your home by taking photos and recording serial numbers. Keep this document in both electronic and printed form. Update it regularly.

Trim back bushes or other vegetation which could conceal ground-floor windows around your home and offer hidden access for burglars.

Extra time at home is also a great opportunity to discuss basic safety skills with your children!

Explain how and when to use 911, including memorizing and/or posting your home address where they can see it. There is safety in numbers — always use the “buddy system.” When going to the park, riding your bike or walking to school, stay together with others that you know and trust. Explain to your kids that they should never accept a ride, food or gifts from someone they don’t know. Always wear a helmet when on bicycles, scooters, skateboards or skates.

WATER WOES 101

Here are some of the top tips you need to know about flooding in Lenexa.

As a public service, the City of Lenexa will provide you with the following information upon request:

• Whether a property is in or out of the

Flood Hazard Area (FHA) as shown on the current Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) of Johnson County. Whether a property is in or out of the floodway or near an area where the problems are not shown on the FIRM. • Additional flood insurance data for a site, such as the FIRM zone and the base flood elevation or depth if shown on the

FIRM. Whether a property is in or near an area of historical flooding and/or natural functions floodplain. • A handout on the flood insurance purchase requirement that can help people who need a mortgage or loan for a property in the FHA. Flood insurance is required for federally backed loans. To find out if you are within a floodplain, floodway, or for flood depth data and/ or to discuss property protection measures within the floodplain, contact Tom Jacobs at 913.477.7644. All work in the floodplain requires a permit from Community Development.

Turn around, don’t drown. Know your evacuation routes.

Elevate valuables. Keep important documents elevated. Retrofitting techniques such as elevation of structure or HVAC systems may offer property protection.

Don’t dump in drains. It’s important to keep the conveyance systems like storm drains clean and clear of debris. Per Lenexa code, it is illegal to dump trash or leaves in our waterways. To report illegal dumping, contact Dale Clark at 913.477.7500.