Flooding is no joke, and is responsible for over $5 billion worth of property damage a year. Bear in mind that when we are talking about floods, we aren't talking about the sort of damage caused by hurricane storm surges and tsunamis in coastal areas. These present an additional set of risks that are not covered here. Flooding otherwise refers to the sort of damage seen from heavy rain or melting snow in low lying area, especially next to rivers.
If you live in a low lying area, especially near a river or water source, be sure to read Ray Gibson's excellent Insuring Against Floods. Flood insurance is a complicated thing, and is often NOT covered by normal insurance policies. Please be sure to read this to determine if you are at risk and what options you have.
How high’s the water Mamma? Two feet high and risin’
How high’s the water Pappa? She said it’s two feet high and risin’
Well we can make it to the road in a home made boat
‘Cause that’s the only thing we got left that’ll float
It’s already over all the wheat and oats
Two feet high and risin’
from Five Feet High and Rising by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash grew up in rural Arkansas, a place that often saw it's share of nasty floods. Flooding happens in all 50 states and every territory of the United States. Footage on television can look really terrifying, a montage of sunken freeways and muddy water covering homes, and people I know from places not prone to such disasters wonder how it happens. I'm happy to tell you.
{dybanners}12{/dybanners}
Most floods happen from gradual rain or snow melts, tropical storms, overflowing rivers and other weather events that authorities usually are on top of. So, they can usually provide a proper warning to get to high ground. The real problem though, is what the National Weather Service calls "flash floods." These are floods that happen within six hours of a rain. They can also come from busted dams and levees. I can tell you a personal experience of a flash flood.
It was my high school graduation. I drove across town to my graduation "practice", the dress rehearsal before the big photo fest for families. Now, it had been raining pretty steady for a few days, and the weather was nasty and all, but I don't think anyone had any reason to think there was any danger, or I'm sure the city (or at least my school district) would have postponed the event. When I got to the parking lot, I noticed there was a good couple of inches of rain there, sort of like a big puddle. A few hours later, as we were sent home to prepare, the parking lot puddle was deeper. The line of water was almost to the bottom of the door of my old Chevrolet.
We all drove a bit slower than usual, and I was looking to not take any chances, and took the freeway home. The rain was coming down pretty hard, and I saw the pickups in front of me slowing down as we came down from the overpass. Water covered the road, and I could see the water spraying off the tires of the trucks in front of me. When I got to the bottom of the road the water was a bit higher than I thought. It started coming into the car. Then my engine stalled and died. That's when I noticed four things:
1. Cold filthy water was now entering my car and soaking everything.
2. My back seat was now floating.
3. My car's wheels were no longer touching the road, but hovering above it, and the car leaned forward toward the engine.
4. My door wouldn't open, likely from the weight of all the water on it.
And there you have it. Here I am, 17 years old, with less than a year of driving experience. All I can think is "Man, my insurance is gonna be sooooo expensive. My dad is gonna kill me."
Luckily my windows were of the manual crank variety, and I swam out of the sinking Chevy into the nastiest oil-logged, muddy water you can imagine. I managed to get to a higher spot on the edge of the freeway where I could stand, and I noticed the cars behind me were making the same mistake. The next thing I knew, another car was also sinking. The driver was a panicked woman, banging on her window and screaming for help.
{dybanners}26{/dybanners}
As luck would have it, she was the assistant principal of my high school. I swam out to her car and yanked as hard as I could on her door, and as the water rushed in, I grabbed her and we waded back to safety, and waved off the other cars coming down the slope. These were the days before cellphones, and we had to find a payphone on higher ground. She called her husband, who, like a good Texas boy, drove a very large Ford F150 and was bothered little by the rain. He came and got us and I dried off at their house, and called my family.
I was covered in mud. I was sure the graduation was going to be called off, but it wasn't. My father arrived an hour and a half later in his suburban, with my cap and gown and drove me back downtown. I looked reasonably presentable in the photos, since the gown covered my muddy clothes, and the cap my filthy hair. On the way home, I was horrified when my father took the same route I took hours before. The water was long gone, and my car, with several others, was pushed to the side of the shoulder of the freeway. The next day and adjuster wrote off the car as totaled.
Anyway, I think I just described a picture perfect example of a flash flood, and the insanity of Texas people who are used to the weather.
The same thing can happen to your home, so when rain conditions get a bit brutal, it would be wise to turn on the radio or television. Local authorities will do their best to give you notices to evacuate, but they obviously can't foresee a flash flood. They can only warn you of their likelihood in a broad area. If local media are warning of flash floods, do your best to avoid driving, unless it is to get to higher ground. Avoid streams, ditches, canyons, bayous, rivers and other drainage areas. Those things can really fill up, overflow and cover a road in a hurry.
You'll also be likely to see snakes and other unhappy and confused wildlife that can really make a bad and uncomfortable situation worse. Avoid them. If you are at home, move your stuff from the outside, and move things to higher levels, either stacked on tables, or if possible, moved upstairs. Avoid using electrical appliances if you are wet or standing in water, and if told to do so by authorities, shut off your power.
If you have to leave your home, don't try walking through moving water. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground and the depth in front of you. If you made the mistake of driving in floodwater and you swamp your car, get away as fast as you can and get to higher ground. You and your car can be swept away. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that six inches of moving water can make a healthy person fall down or stall a car, and that one foot of water can float many cars, and that two feet can sweep away most trucks and SUV's.
{dybanners}16{/dybanners}
How high’s the water Mamma? Five feet high and risin’
How high’s the water Pappa? She said it’s five feet high and risin’
Well the rails are washed out north of town
We gotta head for higher ground
We can’t come back ’till the water goes down
Five feet high and risin’
Well it’s five feet high and risin’
Floods can sometimes happen quickly, and you may find yourself very quickly boxed in if roads are cut off. But don't worry, those water usually recede pretty fast if they have somewhere to go, but it could take a day or two. Of course, you have your emergency kit prepared, and you have a battery operated weather radio, right? The important thing is not to worry about damage until conditions are safe.Then you can proceed to call your insurance company and have them clean up the mess that Mother Nature made. Cleaning up after a flood has to rank pretty low on the fun scale, but it didn't kill me or Johnny Cash. If you find yourself in a flash flooding, all that should concern you is keeping your head on and staying safe.
