Leon Valley officials will be unveiling a High Water Mark placed prominently in the community and related outreach through the news media, website, and e-news. The goal of the initiative is to draw attention to the City of Leon Valley's flood risk by showcasing how high the water has come, and encourage its citizens to take steps to reduce their risk. Mayor Chris Riley will unveil a High Water Mark at Raymond Rimkus Park on January 9, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. and announce supporting outreach efforts.

Floods are the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. Over the life of a typical 30-year mortgage, homes and businesses in high-risk areas have a 26 percent or greater chance of flooding, 2 ½ times greater than the chance of a fire. But residents and businesses often take few if any steps to protect themselves from these potentially devastating events, opting instead to trust that, "It won't happen here." But, in the City of Leon Valley, it has.

In October of 1998, the City of Leon Valley fell victim to unprecedented flooding caused by a significant rise in Huebner Creek that resulted in the flooding of most of the homes along Jeff Loop and El Verde Roads, Poss and Cherryleaf roads, and at city facilities along Evers Road. While the impact of the flooding was devastating, the lessons learned from it have dulled in local memory. This new initiative, Mayor Riley explains, will remind people of the community's history and potential for flooding and of the simple steps they can take to protect themselves should it happen again.

 "My hope with this High Water Mark is that our citizens will spend a minute considering how a major flood could impact them, then that they take at least one new step to protect themselves or their homes," says Mayor Riley. "Whether it's making a plan, making a kit, or putting valuable information in waterproof containers, there are low-cost and no-cost ways to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our property from floods."

 The High Water Mark Initiative comprises a High Water Mark permanently located on the Raymond Rimkus Park Walking Path in the City of Leon Valley and outreach efforts to encourage local residents to take action. The initiative was customized by the City of Leon Valley to meet its needs based on tools and outreach strategies developed by FEMA and eight other Federal agencies. Visit www.leonvalleytexas.gov or call 210-684-1391 to learn more about this initiative and use the "Cost of Flooding" tool at https://www.FloodSmart.gov to see how much damage flooding can do to your home, inch by inch.