Norwich — Residents and business owners now can sign up for early alerts of potential flooding of the Yantic River in a new notification program launched by the city’s Emergency Management office.

The Yantic River has significant history of disruptive flooding, most recently in September. The city’s Office of Emergency Management has created a mechanism on the Emergency Management page on the city’s website, www.norwichct.org, to allow residents and business owners to sign up for notifications of potential flooding concerns within the river's flood zone. 

The form asks the type of property, whether the person is an owner or tenant and asks for emails and mobile phone numbers, for call or text alerts. The notifications use the same technology as "CT Alerts."

Such notifications will allow people to adequately prepare for potential flooding, minimizing damage, Norwich Emergency Management said in a news release.

Norwich officials are working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for federal reimbursement of the costs incurred by the city in connection with the September flooding, to minimize the impact on taxpayers.

Norwich Emergency Management is a Division of Norwich Fire Department, which is responsible for preparing, responding and recovering from natural and man-made, large-scale incidents. Emergency Management works directly with the state Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.