Whether you are at home or on the road, disaster can strike when flooding occurs. Flooding can be caused by a number of factors and you never know when you might find yourself in trouble – quickly.
Floods do not just occur during heavy rains. They can be caused by a number of other events including melting snow, breaks in levies or dams, as well as, over-flowing rivers and lakes. When rivers flood, sometime the flooding occurs due to heavy rains further up river.
Regardless of why the flooding happened, it generally happens very quickly and it’s important to know the safety precautions and teach your family them as well in the event of an emergency. Let’s take a look at how you can stay safe while traveling or at home and what you should have on hand in the event you are trapped.
Whether you’re on foot or in a vehicle, if you’re caught in flood conditions then you will want to first of all reach high ground. According to the National Weather Service, only six inches of floodwater are required to sweep a person off of their feet, and vehicles are susceptible to being swept away by anywhere from 12-18 inches of floodwaters.
If you can navigate through roads and paths at higher elevations to get home or to a safe location, then do so VERY cautiously. If you become surrounded or trapped by floodwaters, then contact emergency services immediately and wait for their instructions.
Know whether or not your home lies in a flood-prone area. If it does, have a plan created in advance to either stock your home with food and water for several days until emergency services can get to you, or have an evacuation kit packed ahead of time so you can leave quickly.
Also, always follow the instructions of emergency services and anyone officially ordering the evacuation of your area; it’s better to get yourself out of trouble than to try to wait through it.
