Pennsylvania HR 122: A Resolution recognizing the week of March 17 through 21, 2025, as "Flood Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 979
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 122
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY ZIMMERMAN, WARREN, GIRAL, FREEMAN, KHAN, VENKAT,
REICHARD, PICKETT, SANCHEZ, COOK, MALAGARI, HOHENSTEIN AND
LEADBETER, MARCH 17, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 17, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the week of March 17 through 21, 2025, as "Flood
Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Act 22 of 2023 established the Flood Insurance
Premium Assistance Task Force to review existing statutes,
practices and rules relating to flood insurance in this
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, One of the duties of the task force was to complete
a report that includes information on how to educate residents
of this Commonwealth about the risk of flooding, as well as ways
to mitigate the occurrence of floods; and
WHEREAS, The National Weather Service provides information to
educate people on the dangers of flooding and prepare them for
the future; and
WHEREAS, Of all natural disasters, flooding is the most
common in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Flooding can cause damage to homes and buildings,
cause power outages, disrupt transportation routes and
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commercial supply chains and damage crops; and
WHEREAS, Flooding can also impact human health as floodwaters
can carry contaminants and pollute drinking water; and
WHEREAS, People with low incomes, people who are elderly or
experiencing homelessness and communities of color may be
disproportionately impacted by flooding as they are less likely
to have flood insurance or the ability to relocate during a
flood; and
WHEREAS, Flooding can cause environmental problems such as
landslides and mudslides; and
WHEREAS, Flooding typically develops in this Commonwealth as
a result of excessive rainfall or a combination of melting snow
and rainfall, often occurring in the spring due to snow melting
quickly in the warmer temperatures; and
WHEREAS, Several historically significant floods have
occurred throughout this Commonwealth's history, including the
following:
(1) The Great Flood of 1889 in Johnstown.
(2) The St. Patrick's Day floods in 1936.
(3) The floods caused by Hurricanes Connie and Diane in
1955.
(4) The floods caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
(5) The snowmelt floods in January 1996;
and
WHEREAS, Investments are needed to improve this
Commonwealth's infrastructure to face flooding events, such as
increasing storm drainage capacity in towns and building
retaining walls to protect from landslides and rising sea
levels; and
WHEREAS, How people manage waterways, such as dams, levees
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and reservoirs, and alterations made to land, such as installing
impermeable roads and parking lots, can change natural drainage
systems and play a role in flooding; and
WHEREAS, Extreme precipitation events, such as hurricane
frequency and severity and rising sea levels, are also key
factors that lead to flooding; and
WHEREAS, In 2016, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency concluded that this Commonwealth had already seen a 5% to
10% increase in rainfall per year; and
WHEREAS, According to the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance
Task Force Final Report, flood events are predicted to continue
to increase in severity and frequency in this Commonwealth and
throughout the Northeast; and
WHEREAS, The National Weather Service issues two types of
flood alerts: a flood watch and flood warning; and
WHEREAS, A flood watch means that flooding may occur and that
residents should stay alert for possible flooding; and
WHEREAS, A flood warning means that there is actual flooding
occurring to which residents may need to respond; and
WHEREAS, In preparation for a flood, residents of this
Commonwealth are encouraged to use sandbags or other materials
to protect their homes from flood waters, have a professional
install check-valves in plumbing and ensure coverage for
flooding with insurance providers since standard homeowners
insurance does not cover flooding; and
WHEREAS, Before a flood, residents of this Commonwealth are
also encouraged to create a communications plan to contact
friends and family in case of disaster, assemble an emergency
kit with enough food, water and medicine to last at least three
days, know which spots on their property are likely to flood and
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charge essential electronics; and
WHEREAS, During a flood, residents of this Commonwealth
should remain aware of changing weather conditions, move to
higher ground, obey evacuation orders, practice electrical
safety by avoiding water that may have electricity in it and
avoid flood waters; and
WHEREAS, As people often underestimate the strength of flood
water, the National Weather Service notes that the safest thing
to do when approaching a flooded a