- Since we recently had a 100-year flood, I will be safe from flooding for another 100 years.
False. The term "100-year flood" describes the magnitude of a flood rather than a time frame. A 100-year flood is a severe event that statistically has a 1 out of 100 (or one percent) chance of being equaled or exceeded on a specific watercourse in any given year. Although it is a rare event over the course of one year, a flood of this size can occur numerous times during a 100-year period. A flood event of this magnitude is also used to determine if flood insurance is advisable or required on a property.
- If my house or property was not flooded in the last flood, then it is not in a floodplain and I don't need to be concerned about flooding.
False. A floodplain is the entire area in which flooding may occur. Some floods will cover only part of a floodplain, while more severe floods will inundate the entire floodplain. The Flood Control District can tell you if your home or property is located in a floodplain in the Floodplain Management section of this Web site.
- If I position my home outside a floodplain I will never have any flood damages.
False. Flooding can occur in virtually any location, depending on many factors such as weather conditions, soil types and topography. A floodplain is simply a documented area that has the potential for flooding.
- If it is not raining in my neighborhood, then the wash next to my house will not flow.
False. A single wash is interconnected in a natural drainage system that includes other washes and rivers. Heavy rainfall miles away can build up in another wash in the system, sending a torrent of water down the wash by your house is just a matter of minutes. This is a dangerous situation called a flash flood.
- Placing branches along the embankment of a wash is an effective method of flood protection.
False. Floodwater, especially when it is rushing through a wash in a flash flood situation, has immense power. One cubic foot of water weighs 62.4 pounds and a wash can flow at the rate of hundreds or thousands of cubic feet per second. For more information on flood protection and floodproofing practices, contact a Floodplain Representative at the Flood Control District at (602) 506-1501 or go to Floodplain Management for more information.
- If a dip in a roadway looks like it has only six or eight inches of water running over it, then it is safe for me to drive across.
False. It is never safe to drive across a flooded wash. Just two feet of water can cause a vehicle to float. In addition, there could be damage to the roadway or other debris hidden under the water that cannot be seen.
- I can make any drainage improvement I need to on my own private land.
False. Before any improvements can be made, even on private land, you must first determine if your land is within a floodplain. The Floodplain Regulations of Maricopa County state what improvements can and cannot be done in a floodplain. Contact a Floodplain Representative at (602) 506-1501 or go to Floodplain Management for more information.
The documents linked from this page are PDFs (Portable Document Files) and they require the free Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher to view. If you do not already have Acrobat, click on the following 'get Acrobat' button:
