The only way to really know if a flood or potential flood is a threat to me personally is through reporting by my local news and media.
FALSE. Local news and media are good sources of information but are subject to outages and interruptions. Wireless Emergency Advisories are available on your mobile device, and are free.
The WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) does not require user sign-up or a download, and the free FEMA app is available through the iTunes App store and Android App Marketplace.