Flooding may not always receive the attention other weather-related disasters do, but it can be deadly. In fact, more people in the United States are die in flooding incidents each year than are killed by tornadoes, hurricanes or lightning, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
Flooding causes more weather-related deaths each year in the U.S. than anything except heat.
Why does flooding occur?
Floods can occur when dams break or when too much snow melts too quickly, but most often because of heavy rains.
Flash floods occur when creeks that are normally dry fill up and other creeks overflow. This can happen suddenly, particularly in densely populated areas.
Normally, the ground absorbs rain, but when an area has lots of highways, driveways and buildings, the potential for flash flooding rises.
What are the hazards of driving into floodwater?
Floodwater is dangerous when you’re driving because there’s no way to judge how deep or rapid the water is until it’s too late and you’ve put yourself and any passengers in danger. This is even more true when you’re driving in heavy rain or at night, when your vision is limited.
In addition, the force of the moving water can cause your vehicle to be pushed sideways in a flooded road, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This can make driving even a large vehicle dangerous, because it may flip on its side or roll over completely, giving you just seconds to escape.
Not only that, a flooded road can become washed out as a result of rapidly flowing water, further increasing the danger.
More than half of all flood-related drownings happen when people drive vehicles into floodwater. It takes only 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a small car. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles.
Why is walking into floodwater dangerous?
For the same reasons, walking in floodwater is dangerous. Just 6 inches of rushing water can knock an adult over — and it takes even less to knock over a child.
Floodwater can also expose a person to injury or to illness from infectious diseases (caused by sewage overflow and other contaminants), chemical wastes and sharp objects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You may also encounter downed power lines and other hazards, such as snakes.
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