Emergency Flood Damage

Certainly, Spokane has seen flooding before. Floods can occur when there's an excess of rain or when snow melts at an abnormal pace. The Spokane River, along with other exposed water systems, can surge and threaten the surrounding area. On occasion, the river has gone on to do this after being subjected to either a heavy rainfall event or a rapid springtime meltdown. Spokane's residents are advised to keep plans and supplies at the ready, just in case.

Payments for damages incurred from a flood can come from a few different places. The first, and probably most common, is that an individual has a flood insurance policy. If this is the case, the insurance company will pay out the bulk of the damage costs. The second potential source, albeit a less common one, is government programs that kick in after a major disaster. If the federal or state government deems an area prone to flooding a disaster zone, they will often make funds available for the residents and businesses in that area to use to cope with the aftermath of the flooding. The last potential source to draw from is individuals paying out of pocket.

In a flood emergency, ensure your safety by promptly moving to higher ground. Excursions through floodwaters should be avoided at all costs. They can be much deeper and stronger than they appear. Up on high and out of the water? Then you're in the safest place possible. And, if you can, keep listening to the news via TV or radio. Even if you have escaped to a very high place, floodwaters can get pretty close. So, you might want to keep some important items at hand: a flashlight, a first-aid kit, some food and water. You might think to yourself, "Well, if I'm up here, I'm totally safe." Not entirely, friend. If you leave home, you must turn off your electricity. That's the only way to ensure that you won't be Wile E. Coyote-ing your way back to safety with a cartoon-style electrical shock. Remember: Wait for the all-clear before returning. If you can, help others. Your stuff will always be a second priority.

Certainly, a home deluge is a state of emergency. When H2O breaches the domicile, it lays waste to furnishings and fixtures alike, especially if it dawdles a while (and it often does these days, thanks to climate change, which is giving us more intense rainstorms stretched out over more hours—and then more days, too). If you should happen to be in your house when it floods, you might be endangering your health and safety, as the water can ruin walls and floors and make the interior a no-go zone. If the water should touch any outlets, you might be courting a shock or fire hazard like the ones that Chief Bino and his crews fight day in and day out.

The aquifer in Spokane typically lies around 50 to 150 feet beneath the surface. This is where you'll find subterranean water, stored in soil and rock. The aquifer's depth isn't uniform, of course. It undulates, depending on where you are in the city and what time of year it is. That's important to remember when you consider how the city depends on this underground water source to supply its water and to maintain certain levels in the nearby rivers and streams.

Spokane can suffer from reduced air quality following flood damage. Air quality takes a hit because of the flood-induced conditions. Homes, businesses, and other structures can be left filled with debris, materials, and chemicals that aren't good to breathe. Once the water recedes and surfaces start to dry, the debris and the substances in it (including some that might just be part of the building) can become airborne. Depending on how much stuff there is, it can be more or less like a dust storm, in terms of inhaleable materials. In some respects, this situation is an airborne version of the visible muddy flood aftermath. And the visible isn't even the half of it.

Water in Spokane is generally very clean! It is treated and over-monitored to ensure it is safe to drink for all. The city works very hard (daily, it seems) to keep the water in that very safe drinking state by testing it (almost obsessively) and assuring that it meets health standard far and above those required. Of course, when it’s raining hard enough to fill the City and the River in side the City with that much heavy water, then it’s guaranteed that the water flowing in and toward the City is full of dirt and debris. Trust me.

The Great Artesian Basin, which is in Australia, is the largest underground aquifer in the world. This aquifer holds an enormous amount of water underground and supplies not only agricultural areas but also a number of towns and cities with water. The basin stretches across four of the most spacious parts of Australia: Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. It is a lifeline that supplies those areas with farming and domestic water.

Spokane's water comes from the underground Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. This underground water is very clean and fresh because it is naturally filtered through rocks and sand. The city uses wells to pump and then clean the water before it goes to people's homes. It's pretty much like drinking mountain spring water. And this is what water indicates: that you have a society that can provide for the most basic of human needs, and a society in which your drinking water is pretty much as good as it gets.

It's hard to pinpoint who has the cleanest water on Earth because so many places have top-notch water quality. Still, countries like Iceland, Finland, and Switzerland are known for having extremely clean water. They maintain a very high level of environmental protection that includes rigorous laws to keep their water pristine. These places also tend to use natural filtration systems—rocks, soils, etc.—to keep their water clean, which is part of why so many people think their water is some of the best.