Water forecasters and emergency planners said Tuesday that Utah should dodge excessive flooding in most of the state if the weather cooperates for the remainder of March and April by gradually warming the mountainsides. Just in case, though, they urged Utahns to purchase home flood insurance in time for a 30-day waiting period to expire before peak snowmelt.

"The time to look at flood insurance is now," said Derek Jensen, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Only about 1 percent of Utahns have it, he said, and many don't realize it's not included in standard homeowners' insurance.

The snowpack in the mountains above Salt Lake City hovers at 128 percent of normal for this time of year, said National Weather Service hydrologist Brian McInerney. That means the flood threat between now and late July is at about 120 percent of normal.

Farther north in Utah, the snowpack is average and the flood threat is normal. In high-elevation parts of southern Utah, the snowpack is 140 percent of normal. Flood threat in the region is about 145 percent of normal.

Low-clinging snowpack above heavily populated areas has forecasters watching the weather especially closely in the Ogden River Valley, the Morgan valley, the Snyderville Basin and parts of Salt Lake City, McInerney said.

The key will be gradual but steadily warming weather for the next couple of months, preventing a scenario in which temperatures suddenly break to 80 degrees and rapidly melt snow in conjunction with rainstorms.

Though some areas may flood at times, McInerney said, he expects most Utahns will see "the best of both worlds with regard to both our water levels and our flood threat."

Every reservoir in Utah except for Bear Lake and Lake Powell should fill completely, he said.

Flood insurance averages about $500 a year, Jensen said, though it can be had for as little as $100 or $200 in relatively low-risk areas. It is a good idea to have in part because there's no guarantee that a flood will trigger federal assistance, he said. Often when there is federal assistance, it's in the form of low-interest loans.

The Red Cross recommends that residents in threatened areas gather a survival kit that they can take with them if disaster strikes, said David Neale, emergency services director for the Salt Lake chapter. People using powered wheelchairs should get manual backups, and everyone should think about alternate transportation methods, he said.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. signed a proclamation marking flood-awareness week and asked all Utahns to watch for flood warnings on radio and television. Such warnings can come on suddenly during high rains.

Though everyone should be prepared, he said, this winter's weather may be cause for celebration.

"We have about as auspicious and propitious a water year as you could ever have," he said.

Flood safety tips:

BE AWARE OF THESE:

* Monitor children and keep them a safe distance from cold, fast spring runoff.

* Hypothermia is a real threat in snowmelt-fed lakes and streams. Use good judgment.

* Thunderstorms pose the threat of rapid water rise. Stay abreast of weather forecasts.

* Swimming in cold bodies of water can severely reduce endurance. Hypothermia's onset can be swifter than you think, especially in high mountain streams or reservoirs.

* Powerful water currents. More deaths occur due to flooding than any other storm-related hazard. Swimming in cold, high mountain streams or reservoirs. Hypothermia's onset can be swifter than you think.

* Ignoring warnings on roadways. Never drive around or through flooded areas.

* Swollen waterways are deceptively dangerous for children. Keep them away.

* Parking or leaving your vehicle near waterways during heavy rain. Water can rise rapidly.

* Protect yourself by visiting the Web at http://www.nws.

noaa.gov/os/water/tadd

Prepare for high water

Source: State of Utah

The Salt Lake Tribune