|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

Things You Should Know About Floods

Although tornadoes, lightening and thunder might appear more threatening, flood waters are just as big a danger. According to FloodSafety.com, flooding accounts for around 200 deaths per year on average in the United States. Easy to overlook, floods---especially flash floods---should be taken seriously. With proper precautions and knowledge of warning signs, you can keep yourself and those around you safe, should an emergency arise.

  1. Damage to Infrastructure

    • One thing not to underestimate about floods is the damage they can do to infrastructure. Although there's very little you can do about some flash flooding, always ensure that, if possible, your home is built within an area less prone to flooding. Damages to structures as a result of flooding exceeds $6 billion on average every year, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Even as little as an inch of water can damage a building.

    Avoid Vehicles

    • Vehicles might be thought of as a safety barrier, especially if homes are being flooded; however, quite the opposite is true statistically. According to Weather.com, 66 percent of deaths involving floods are vehicle related. With as little as 2 feet of water, an entire vehicle can be lifted from the ground and floated, making vehicle-driving an extremely risky move.

    Flash Flooding

    • Flooding doesn't have to be near a large body of water to be a threat. "Flash" floods refer to flooding that happens in a very short period of time, which can occur in a time span as short as an hour. Flash floods especially affect low-lying areas that accumulate water very quickly. The rise in water can cause dam failures and even mud slides, depending on the region. Flash floods account for the majority of flood-related deaths.

    Hurricanes and Tsunamis

    • Hurricane winds can be intimidating and scary to people; however, they are not the major source of damage and death. The real threat lay in the water brought ashore, causing massive flooding in coastal regions. Hurricane Katrina, the most costly hurricane in U.S. history as of March 2011, caused over $80 billion in damage. Tsunamis cause a large wall of water from the ocean to flood the coastline. The worst of which are caused by earthquakes, tsunamis can be extremely deadly; the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people.

Public Health - Related Articles