Turn Around — Don’t Drown — Flood Deaths
Tragically 12 people have died and 1 is missing from the recent flash flood along the Utah-Arizona border.
In 28 years of emergency response I have responded to hundreds of cars stranded in high water. Be it the driver sees the car in front of them travel through the “shallow water” or the driver is simply un-aware of the dangers of floodwater — deaths do occur.
The National Weather Service provides that over a 30-year period (1977 to 2006) that:
99 people died from floods
61 people died from lighting
54 people did from tornadoes
49 people died from hurricanes
½ of all flood-related drawings are the result of a vehicle driven into floodwaters. — The majority of deaths are male
A mere 6 inches of fast-moving floodwater can knock over an adult
12 “ of rushing water can carry away a small car.
2’ feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles.
The dangers are to people on foot and those in car’s.
While walking / wading in flood waters — danger’s persist from missing sewer covers that can suck a victim under and be swept away
What you can do.
In a car — NEVER drive through standing or moving floodwater. Turn Around Don’t Drown
On foot — if you have to walk in floodwater — use a sounding/walking stick to check the path in front of you for holes/hazards.
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