Jefferson County encourages residents to prepare for possible spring flooding

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - With spring on the horizon, Jefferson County is asking people to prepare for the possibility of seeing an aerial flooding event. The cause for this type of event the county is worrying about is when it rains and we still have large amounts of snow on the ground.

Those conditions make the area ripe for flood water. Jefferson County emergency manager Rebecca Squires says now is the time to start preparing.

"We're trying to get ahead of the curve by letting people know that this is this kind of flooding is possible. If rain falls on top of the snow, we can expect that there will be a lot of water," she said.

While trying to get ahead, Squires encourages people to go and get their sandbags or maybe build a berm around their home.

"Sandbags can be used to divert floodwater or some people to protect a large area will actually use like a front end loader or a bulldozer to bulldoze up a berm to direct flood water to an appropriate drainage," Squires said.

She says it's important to know just what the natural drains in your area are so you can use them to your advantage.

"People should be aware of what kind of drainage happens near their homes. So if the stormwater drain is plugged, you'll probably get wet if you live next to a natural drainage area, even though it's dry most of the year, you'll probably see floodwater," she said.

Squires also encourages people to find ways to get informed and get the alerts that may help them in the event flooding occurs.

"It's very important to stay informed, sign up for the reverse 911 program we have called Alert Sense, or download the FEMA app on your phone so that you get weather alerts and flooding alerts," she said.

Squires says unless things go downhill very quickly, evacuation orders may not be on the radar, but everyone should be ready for what their home's needs are.

"If flood water encroaches into your home, of course. Take all those steps necessary to protect your home, your family, your pets, and your livestock, and evacuate if you need to," she said.

Squires says the biggest thing is to plan ahead and get informed. She says you can also find information on the county website linked here.