As we hear the stories and see the images of the devastation along the U.S. Gulf Coast, we also hear people ask “where was the planning?” It’s true that people knew a severe hurricane was on its way, and that the vulnerability of New Orleans to flood waters has been a known problem since the earliest days of the city over 200 years ago.

It’s also true that it’s often human nature to put off planning for disaster. We want to believe that our homes will always be safe and dry — that the winds will never be too strong, the water will never be too high. And so we continue to build in places where floods are possible and sometimes even likely.

Flooding is a natural occurrence. Rivers, streams and lakes periodically overflow their banks and inundate adjacent land areas. These areas, known as floodplains, temporarily store this excess water. A river’s floodplain can be thought of as a part of the river itself, even though it is dry the majority of the time.

Floodplains have also traditionally been choice spots for people to live. Floodplains often have fertile soils, flat ground, and, perhaps of most interest on the Kenai Peninsula, great views of and access to the river.

Autumn is often “flood season” on the Kenai Peninsula. Heavy fall rains, occasionally in combination with other events such as ice dam breaks on one of our glacial lakes, can raise waters to flood levels. The peninsula generally sees minor flooding in at least a few locations each year, and periodically we experience what is known as a “1 percent flood event.” Also called a “100-year flood,” this represents a major flood — one that has approximately a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year. In the fall of 2002, the southern Kenai Peninsula experienced two 1 percent flood events within the span of a few weeks.

In order to reduce flood risks and minimize economic losses from flood events, the Kenai Peninsula Borough regulates building and other projects on mapped floodplains through a floodplain development ordinance. All projects on mapped floodplains must go through a permit application process to ensure the projects meet ordinance requirements and will not result in unacceptable flood risks. Buildings on floodplains must be built so that the ground floor is higher than the water level of most flood events. Crawl spaces and basements, which would retain floodwaters, are not allowed. There are other standards as well. By building to these standards, homeowners can reduce their risks when floods occur, and are also eligible for coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program.

Because the Kenai Peninsula Borough is involved in FEMA’s Community Rating System, homeowners are eligible for a discount on their flood insurance rates. Rates and discounts are determined by where the property is located and how flood-resistant the buildings are. Flood insurance generally takes 30 days from the date of activation to become effective.

Although it is unlikely that an event as dramatic as Katrina will strike the Kenai Peninsula, it is inevitable that we will face major flooding periodically. We can’t prevent these events, but we can take steps to be as prepared as possible when they come along.

For more information about living on floodplains on the Kenai Peninsula, contact Jane Gabler at the Kenai River Center at 260-4882.

Jane Gabler is the Kenai Peninsula Borough floodplain administrator. Jan Yaeger is the Kenai River Center education coordinator.