Did You Know? Flash Floods Can Happen In Our Area

4/21/2022 (Permalink)

Floods are the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, running up a $2.4 billion per year tab in average annual losses. While some of Mother Nature's more demonstrative displays, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, get more public attention, floods are the number one weather related killer in the United States. Flash floods are the most dangerous kind of flood, because they combine the nearly unstoppable force of a flood with deadly unpredictability and speed. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than half of all flash floods fatalities are related to automobiles. The truth is as simple as it is tragic: Just six inches of fast moving flood water can knock a grown man off his feet, and just two feet of water can cause a car to begin floating. Should a flash flood strike our area, SERVPRO of South Elkhart County professionals want you to be equipped with the following tips:

• You cannot outrun a flash flood. Get to higher ground!
• Stay away from and keep children away from drainage ditches and storm drains.
• Never drive into water covering the road. You do not know how deep it is or if the road underneath the water has been washed away.
• If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground if it is safe to do so.
• Be especially cautious at night when it is difficult to recognize flood dangers.
• Do not attempt to cross flowing water if the water is above ankle level.