Outreach Materials

Focus on Floods Resources:
Classroom Poster and Coloring Pages – Floods Happen Lessen the Loss

This beautifully illustrated, full-color poster is appropriate for posting in a classroom, office or other public location, filled with hidden gems for teachers. Additionally, we also have six downloadable .pdf coloring sheets that are black and white versions of the scenes in the poster, and six corresponding activity worksheets related to each of the key themes on the back.  The poster has opportunities for teaching about floodplain ecology (see the barn owl on the sycamore tree? Did you know that these owls are common to these trees, which are common in floodplains?), flood mitigation (see the elevated house?), watersheds (see the storm in the headwaters of the creek – where will it travel?) as well as family preparedness (see the family making a go-kit?) and flood safety (see the man avoiding the flood waters, and the man and his dog running for high ground?)  We have also developed a checklist for discussing preparing a family “go-kit.”  You can download that here: Family Go Kit List

What’s Your Number?” Poster and Magnet
This “What’s Your Number? poster and accompanying What’s Your Number Magnet encourage students to learn about river levels and their own community’s flood stage by visiting the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrological Prediction Services Page to find their nearest stream gauge and learn the “flood stage” at that gauge. Another classroom poster, specifically designed for the Upper Delaware Watershed, introduces the idea that terrain can influence flood risk and can be viewed here.

The Day of the Flood Animated Video
This ten-minute video demonstrates a community taking the right steps to prepare for flooding: this is perfect for a classroom or professional discussion.  It’s a story of how one river valley community prepared for – and survived – a major riverine flood.  Conceived by Nurture Nature Foundation and produced by MagikStudio of Easton, PA, the film demonstrates best practices for flood readiness, and highlights the use of National Weather Service flood forecast and warning tools.  The full, ten-minute video is available here.

Radio Programs:
In 2010, Nurture Nature Center staff produced four one-hour radio shows about the effects of flooding on individuals and communities, in cooperation with WDIY FM 88.1 Allentown radio These shows are posted below for you to hear, and may be re-broadcast upon request.
Click Here to Learn about the Radio Show Hosts and Guests
“Delaware Floods and Their Impact” — March 4, 2010
This interview, which aired on WDIY FM 88.1 Allentown radio, features hosts Rachel Hogan Carr (Nurture Nature Foundation) and Marshall Frech (Director of the Flood Safety Project in Boulder, Colorado) talking with swiftwater rescue trainer Pat Shine and floodplain resident John Mauser of Lower Mt. Bethel Township, PA, about the regional flooding in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and the challenges that face individuals in flood events.
““The Economic, Social and Environmental Challenges of Recent Floods” — April 2, 2010
This radio show, which aired on WDIY FM 88.1 Allentown radio, includes hosts Rachel Hogan Carr and Marshall Frech interviewing City of Easton Director of Planning and Codes Becky Bradley, and water resources engineer and certified floodplain manager John Miller, about the community-wide challenges flooding poses for the region.
“After the Waters Subside: An Interview with Flood Victim Counselors” — June 3, 2010
This radio show, which aired on WDIY FM. 88.1 Allentown radio, features Rachel Hogan Carr as host along with Linda Frey and Mark Staples of Liberty Lutheran Services and Lutheran Disaster Response, discussing their poignant experiences assisting victims of flooding in the Delaware River Basin and Hurricane Katrina. Includes a brief introduction on the Lehigh River Sojourn event.
“The Flood of Record: Are We Any Safer Today?” — August 5, 2010
In this interview, Host Rachel Hogan Carr discusses with Mary Shafer, author of Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images from the Deadly Flood of 1955, the storms that produced the 1955 flood, and the damage it wreaked throughout the region. Shafer provided a riveting description of how the storms tracked, and then stalled over the region, creating the flood of record in the area, and Shafer and Carr discussed whether we are any safer today. Recording of this show is unavailable. Copies of Devastation on the Delaware, including an afterward by Rachel Hogan Carr, are available online and at Nurture Nature Center in Easton, PA.

Be SMART When it Storms Resources:
This series of educational materials about flood forecasting and flood readiness were designed for use by teachers, emergency managers, NOAA and NWS staff, and individuals interested in learning more about their flood risk. A limited quantity of print materials are available.
Smart Cards – Have a Plan, Know the ImpactsKnow More than the Hurricane Path, Get Prepared and Help Your Community
Magnets

Be Weather Alert Resources:
Nurture Nature Center has developed a series of educational materials about flood forecasting and flood readiness. These posters and graphics are designed for use by emergency managers, NOAA and NWS staff, and
individuals interested in learning more about their flood risk.
Flyers – Be Weather Alert…The Path of a Hurricane is Uncertain; Prepare for Your Likely Impacts; Be Prepared to Deal with the Impacts of a Hurricane; To Protect Your Family and Property, Get Ready Ahead of Time; Check River Levels Frequently

 

Here are some helpful links:

Association of State Floodplain Managers: An “organization of professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program, and flood preparedness, warning and recovery.”

Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955 The website for the book that chronicles the legendary Delaware River flood of 1955. Written by Mary Shafer, a regional author and publisher.

Federal Emergency Management Agency: FEMA has many resources for property owners and renters, from the National Flood Insurance Program to the Floodsmart Toolkit. See:

Flood Safety Project: Based in Boulder, Colorado, this project website delivers extensive multi-media information about flood safety

National Weather ServiceSee:

Uncertainty In River Forecasts – Fact Sheet

Understanding River Forecasts – Fact Sheet

Information about weather, river levels and river forecasts.

RSS Feeds

Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Philadelphia/Mt. Holly, NJ Weather Forecast Office

Binghamton, NY Weather Forecast Office

Eastern Region Headquarters

Nurture Nature Center

United States Geological Survey

WaterAlert – Have USGS send you an automated text or email message when the river exceeds the parameter you set (height of water at stream gage, river elevation, precipitation inches, water quality parameters, and others). Use this service along with National Weather Service flood alerts.

Flood Hazards A National Threat fact sheet in PDF form

“100-year-flood: It’s All About Chance” Poster: “This poster is an attempt to explain the concept, probabilistic nature, and inherent uncertainties of the “100-year flood…”