Contact: Susan Siravo
Office: (408) 265-2607, ext. 2290
Cell: (408) 398-0754
November 16, 2009
SAN JOSE – Today the Santa Clara Valley Water District will launch its new flood awareness campaign to alert Santa Clara County residents to the risks of flooding and help them protect themselves from this annual hazard.
The campaign features the famous character “Chicken Little,” the panicky bird who once ran around yelling “The sky is falling!” Charles Chicken Little is now older and wiser and realizes that hysterical behavior in a crisis isn’t a good idea. So instead, Charles is now calmly giving advice to Santa Clara County residents on preparing for flood emergencies.
The campaign will use radio, internet ads and a new feature, text messaging, which will allow county residents to receive flood alerts via text message. The water district’s school education program will also bring the campaign into classrooms. Since our community is diverse, the media mix will include Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese language ads.
The ads will convey that flooding can be a serious threat, even if you don’t live in a floodplain, and give people useful tips for before, during and after a flood. Such as:
Before
- Make emergency kits for your home and car with supplies such as a flashlight, batteries, water and non-perishable food. And be sure to keep your car’s gas tank full, so you won’t be stranded in a potential flood.
During
- Do not drive into flooded areas. A foot of water will float many vehicles and two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles.
After
- Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.
The ads will also direct the audience to the water district’s website, www.valleywater.org, for more information, such as emergency updates, reservoir/rainfall gauges and sandbag sites.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages water resources and provides stewardship for the county’s five watersheds, including 10 reservoirs, hundreds of miles of streams and groundwater basins. The water district also provides flood protection throughout Santa Clara County.