Flooding hazards can threaten any community in any location in the United States. Flooding can occur over a period of weeks or days, or minutes, thus this course focuses the identification and assessment of hazards due to flooding to enable proper preparedness and response. As flooding is one of the top meteorological killers in the United States, and poses particular hazards to emergency responders, this introduction to recognizing flooding threats is essential for developing safe communities.

Flooding Hazards: Science and Preparedness is an awareness-level, eight-hour course that addresses the current science of the causes of floods (both meteorological and otherwise), flood forecasting, flood risk assessment, and best practices for preparation and mitigation for both short- and long-fuse flooding events.  Key concepts and discussion topics will be reinforced with facilitator-led group activities that utilize real-world flood scenarios.  These activities will illustrate the diverse challenges and complexities that can occur during actual flood events while building participants' experience and confidence in anticipating, heeding warnings, and responding to floods.

The goal of this course is to prepare participants to recognize the conditions that lead to flood events, evaluate their community's risk, and prepare appropriately.

Course Modules:

• Science of Flooding
• Flood Risk
• Flood Forecasting and Public Information
• Safe Preparation and Mitigation for Floods

The target audience for this awareness-level and instructor-led course consists of different of first responders and other stakeholders who respond to flooding events such as:

• Emergency Management;
• Emergency Medical Services;
• Fire Service;
• Government Administrative;
• Law Enforcement; and
• Public Works.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between different types of flooding hazards based on the meteorological and hydrological conditions and state their distribution across the United States,
• Access and interpret FEMA flood risk maps for their area,
• Identify organizations involved in forecasting and monitoring flooding and understand the products they issue,
• Describe preparedness and mitigation actions to be taken in anticipation of flood events.

None

• Pre-test to be completed PRIOR to the course. Assists to assess familiarity with the course subject material.
• Post test to be completed at completion of course. To receive a FEMA issued Certificate of Completion, a post test score of at least 70% must be obtained.