Many people ask what they should prepare for in terms of a natural disaster. The biggest threat to almost everyone everywhere is flooding. It can affect anyone at anytime. It doesn’t even matter where you live. The potential for a major disaster in the form of a flood or flooding is always there. Floods are serious natural disasters and can be fatal if you aren’t prepared.
Flood Facts:
1.) Approximately 90 % of all damages which are related to natural disasters are the direct or indirect result of floods.
2.) Almost 75 % of all Presidential declarations of disaster areas are directly due to flooding.
3.) More people are killed in the United States by flooding than by any other natural disaster.
4.) More than 80 % of deaths during a flood take place in a vehicle.
5.) A fully grown adult can be knocked down by only 6 inches of rushing flood waters.
6.) A large vehicle can be floated away by as little as two feet of water in a flood.
7.) A full third of all roads and bridges become so damaged by floodwaters that less than half of the people trying to cross them in a vehicle actually get to their destination.
8.) Floods can be caused by torrential rains or extreme snow melt in almost any part of the U.S.A.
9.) Floods can be caused by hurricanes in the coastal regions of the U.S.A.
10.) Never try to treat flood waters for drinking purposes. They almost always contain toxic chemicals which are usually deadly.
Get more flood facts and information at:
Floods and Society
The National Weather Service prepares flood forecasts for all areas of the United States which are then made available to the public.
Check your state’s local weather hazards here:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/organization.php
I would advise everyone to have an emergency radio capable of receiving NOAA weather alerts to keep up to date on the possibility of flooding in your area.
Staying above the water line!
Riverwalker
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2 comments:
This is so true, and it's exacerbated by folks' tendency to live in flood plains, and government's arrogant belief that they can tame mother nature with a bunch of flimsy levees....
After spending the last 36 months or so researching flood events around the US, here's what I've learned: 1] The number of reported flood events has increased by a factor of 12 since 1950; 2] The increase in flood events is nearly the same in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia; 3] The cost of flood damage, in the US, averages around $30 billion annually and insurance covers only about 20% of the cost; 4] 75% of flood damage comes from water that is less than 3' deep; 5] 60% of all damage from severe weather comes from flooding.
If you live where it has flooded before it will flood again. Flood control projects by organizations like the USACE take a decade and more to complete. Therefore, every flood threatened community must have an emergency flood protection system available and sandbags are not the answer. You can see one new flood protection system at www.floodwalls.com.
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