As temperatures begin to rise and we move into spring, Gallatin County residents are encouraged to prepare for flooding season. 

According to the National Weather Service, Gallatin County will see temperatures increasing into the weekend and early into the week of April 10, both during the day and overnight. That could mean some minor flooding impacts around the county during that time. 

“We know we will see the valley snowpack melt in the coming days as we warm up. The unknown question is how much water will leave the snowpack and where it will go. Now is the time to make sure your property is prepared, you have a plan and are registered to receive emergency notifications.”

There are two things property owners can do NOW to minimize potential impacts of flooding in the coming weeks and months. 

Flood Insurance

Floods can happen anywhere – just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage. But unfortunately, most homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. 

Flood insurance is a separate policy that can cover buildings, the contents in a building, or both. It is a crucial tool to protect your most important financial assets – your home, your business, your possessions. 

If you feel your property is at risk of flooding, you may want to consider flood insurance. You do not have to live in a floodplain to get flooding insurance – any homeowner in the county can purchase a policy.

Flood insurance has a 30-day waiting period for the policy to take effect, so you can’t wait until flooding is imminent to get a policy. It will be too late.

Contact your insurance agency for policy information. There are insurance products available through the National Flood Insurance Program, as well as private insurers. 

Find more information at www.floodsmart.gov or csimt.gov/your-insurance/flood/. 

Keep it Flowing

Now is the time to prepare your property in order to minimize the potential effects of flooding.

The most prevalent cause of localized flooding are obstructed waterways that block the flow of water and cause it to go where you don’t want it. Now is the time to make sure ditches, culverts and other waterways on your property are clear of debris so we can keep as much water in them as possible. This can help you AND your neighbors limit the impacts of flooding in your area.

Now is also the time to develop your plan on how you will protect your property if you are affected by flooding later this spring. Once flooding occurs, the damage is done. So developing your plan now, and implementing it early, is critical to minimizing damage.

More information on flooding is available here.

Stay Informed

Make sure you’re receiving timely and critical flooding information about your area by signing up for the Community Notification System. 

With this system, our citizens can receive targeted notifications with urgent information in the event of things like flooding, law enforcement incidents, severe weather, road closures, wildfires, and much more.

You can personalize how you get those notifications (text, call, email, etc.) and identify addresses you want to be notified about.

To register for free, or to get a little more information on how the Community Notification System works, visit our website.