Village Flood Fact Sheet

Important information concerning flooding in our community. You are receiving this because you are in or near the floodplain.

Local Flood Hazard

Flooding in our Village is cause by three sources: Mill Creek, Dry Creek, and the Owasco Inlet. Floodwaters can cover several areas up to ten to twelve inches deep. Flooding in most areas within the Village can come with little or no warning.

Your property may be high enough that it may not have flooded in the past. However, it can still be flooded in the future as the next flood could be worse. If you are in the floodplain, the odds are that someday your property may be damaged. This flyer gives you some ideas of what you can do to protect yourself.

Village Flood Services

The first thing you should do is check your flood hazard. Flood maps and flood protection references are available at the Powers Library located at 29 Church Street. You can also visit the Village Office located at 22 Central Street to see if you are in a mapped Floodplain. If so, they can give you more information, such as depth of flooding over a building’s first floor and past flood problems in the area. They also have a handout on selecting an architect, engineer, or contractor.

If requested, the Public Works Department will visit a property to review its flood problem and explain ways to stop flooding or prevent flood damage. Call the Village Office at 315-497-1820. These services are free. If you are in a floodplain or have had a flood, drainage or sewer backup problem, check out these sources for assistance.

Flood Insurance

If you do not have flood insurance, talk to your insurance agent. Homeowner’s Insurance policies do not cover damage from floods. However, because the Village of Moravia participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, you can purchase separate flood insurance policy. This insurance is backed by the Federal government and is available to everyone, even for properties that have been flooded. Some people have purchased flood insurance because the bank required it when they got a mortgage/home improvement loan.

Usually these policies just cover the building’s structure and not the contents. At last count, there were 97 flood insurance policies in the Village of Moravia. If you are covered, check out the amount and make sure you have contents coverage.

Remember: Even if the last flood missed you or you have done some flood proofing, the next flood could be worse. Flood insurance covers all surface floods. There is a 30-day waiting period before most flood insurance policies go into effect.

Flood Warning

The National Weather Service along with the Cayuga County Emergency Management Office provides flood warning and evacuation data to local radio and television stations. The Village of Moravia Police Department and the Moravia Volunteer Fire Department will provide door-to-door warnings to those areas threatened by flooding.

When a flood threatens, evacuations may be ordered in areas expected to flood. Residents must be prepared to move to a place of safety. The Village of Moravia, in conjunction with the Cayuga County Emergency Management Office, will announce emergency shelter locations.

Property Protection Measures

Every year, flooding in the United States causes more property damage than any other type of natural disaster. While recent improvements in construction practices and regulations have made new homes less prone to flood damage, there are a significant number of existing homes susceptible to flood losses. The flooding to these properties can be minimized through temporary and permanent retrofitting techniques.

Recommendations

Keep water away from your house by constructing a floodwall or earthen berm. These methods are acceptable if you have a large lot, if the flooding isn’t too deep, and if your property is not in the floodway.
Waterproof your walls and place watertight closures over the doorways. This method should be used on homes with basements or if water will not get over two feet deep.
Raise your house above the flood level. Measures to protect a property from flooding damage include retrofitting, grading a yard, correcting local drainage problems and such emergency measures as moving furniture and sandbagging.

Flood Safety

Do not walk through flowing water. Currents can be deceptive; six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. If you walk in standing water, use a pole or stick to ensure that the ground is still there.
Do not drive through a flooded area.
Stay away from power lines / electrical wires. Electrical current can travel through water. Report downed power lines to NYSEG.
Don’t use appliances or motors that have gotten wet unless they have been taken apart, cleaned, and dried.
Be alert for gas leaks. Use a flashlight to inspect for damage.
Don’t smoke, use candles, lanterns, open flame unless you know the gas has been turned off and the area has been ventilated.

Drainage System Maintenance

The Village of Moravia has an inspection/maintenance program. The Public Works Department conducts routine inspections on all ditches, streams, channels throughout the year. The drainage system in the Village of Moravia must be kept clean or flooding will occur. Debris, even grass clippings, in streets, ditches, streams may obstruct the flow of water and cause overflow into streets, yards and homes. If you see any persons doing this, please contact the Village Office at 315-497-1820.

Permit Requirements

All development in the floodplain requires a permit (not just the construction of a building). You must contact the Code Enforcement Officer before you start any development. If you see any development in the floodplain without a permit you may contact the Village Office at 315-497-1820.

The Village of Moravia requires that if the cost of reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvements to a building equals or exceeds 50% of the building’s market value, then the building must meet the same construction requirements as a new building. Substantially damaged buildings must also be brought up to the same standards (such as a residence damaged so that the cost of repairs equals or exceeds 50% of the building’s value before it was damaged must be elevated above the base flood Elevation).

Natural & Beneficial Functions

The Village of Moravia is a beautiful place in which to live, and the areas within or near our floodplain are important assets. The undisturbed wetlands in the Village of Moravia along West Cayuga Street and North Main Street provide a wide range of benefits in the human and natural systems. Water quality is improved through the wetlands ability to filter nutrients and impurities from runoff and process organic wastes.

These areas provide breeding and feeding grounds for fish and wildlife, create and enhance waterfowl habitat, support a high rate of plant growth and maintain biodiversity and the integrity of the ecosystem. Floodplains provide green space for protection of streams from development and the forces of erosion.