Seeing as flooding is a rather common problem recently, perhaps a few words about surviving in a flood might be in order.
Men are the overwhelming victims of floods. This is for a number of reasons, not least is because more men work outdoors than women during stormy weather. Men also tend to over-estimate their chances and to take heedless risks without ensuring their own personal safety before doing so. Men and women are equally at risk when driving in rain and storms, yet men are 3 times more likely to drown in their cars in a flood than women. This is again because men underestimate the danger of driving through flood waters – they have an unrealistic expectation that they are safe inside the car and their car, especially if it’s an ATV-type vehicle, can drive through rapidly moving flood waters.
Men, this just isn’t so. It’s not worth your life to take these risks. Yes, be the hero, but be the hero wisely.
Keep rope in your car if you drive in rain and flood waters. Rope can be used to help anchor you and keep you safe if you decide to plunge in after someone already being washed away. Keep more than one rope – one for yourself, and one to rescue another person. Keep food and bottled water in your car, too, in case you need to be rescued and it takes a while. Keeping a stick or dowel rod in the car is more reliable then depending on finding one in a flood situation.
The rope and stick will keep you safe – anchor yourself with the rope, use the stick to probe the depth of the water and to provide another anchor point.
Know the strength of the water you are up against. Ankle deep moving water can sweep you off your feet. Just ankle deep – no more than 3-4 inches of water and you’re being carried away.
Water 6 inches deep can already be seeping into the doors of a car. If it’s that high; driving with any speed at all will flood the engine, and you won’t be in control of your car. Creep through deep waters if you just have to move forward, although the best and safest advice is to turn around and find another route. If necessary, abandon the car and keep yourself safe. You can always buy another car.
Water 8 – 12 inches deep is enough to sweep small cars away with the current. If you’re in a car being swept away with the current, you are safer staying in the car, but open a window or door so you can get out when the car stops and/or rescue arrives.
Fast moving water 14 inches deep will sweep away even heavy vehicles like humvees, so it will certainly sweep away the lighter Hummers and SUVs. At 2 feet, even slow moving water will sweep away any vehicle you are likely to won. Don’t let yourself get caught in the trap of thinking that just because you have a really tough, macho car that it can stand up to a flood. It can’t.
Do not ever go around a sign or barricade blocking off a flooded road. There could have been a bridge there and if that’s gone you will not be able to drive through it. When in doubt, get out of your car and check. If it’s too dangerous for you to get out of your car, it’s too dangerous for you to drive through it. Turn around, or if that’s not possible, roll down a window and wait for rescue or the waters to recede.
If you get caught in a flash flood and the water rises rapidly around you, get out of the car and head for high ground as early as possible. If the water has already risen so high you can’t get out of your car, roll a window down and wait for rescue or the waters to recede. If necessary, climb onto the roof of the car. Use that rope to anchor yourself. If you happen to have a flotation device or small inflatable raft, anchor that to the car and use it to keep your head above water. Flash floods are just that, and if you’re smart (you are, aren’t you?), you can survive it. Your car may be a loss, but you’ll be alive to buy another one.
If you must walk in flood waters, use that rope to anchor yourself, and grab a stick to help you. Pick your way carefully across running water by checking the depth with the stick. Use the stick as an additional source of support and anchorage. Make sure one foot is planted firmly before you lift the next one. Select water that’s not moving or is moving slower.
If you do fall and get swept into a current, don’t fight it. Go with the flow, but twist so you are on your back with your feet together and pointing down-current to give you some steering ability and so you can see and avoid obstacles. Keep your feet up to avoid being pulled under and to keep from whacking your feet on debris – the backs of your thighs can handle the hit better than your ankles. If you’ve anchored yourself to a rope, you can pull yourself back to your starting point once you reach the end of the rope and get your senses back in order.
Learn how to swim. You don’t have to swim pretty or swim like an Olympic champion, just well enough to stay afloat.
If you’re indoors, get to the highest level possible. Stay indoors if you can. Stash supplies to smash open the roof if you get that high and the water continues to rise. Get out on the roof. If you’re prepared, you’ll have an inflatable raft or flotation devices stashed up there and clean bottled water. Anchor your raft, and wait for rescue.
People on medical devices, handicapped, or bedbound have special issues to deal with. In hospitals and nursing homes, make sure they have flood preparations in place and an evacuation process that begins early enough to rescue as many patients and residents as possible.
Those who are being cared for in the home on continuous oxygen or life support equipment – evacuate early. Sheltering in place is not an option for you. Unless you have portable power supply that you can carry and will work for at least 72 hours, you don’t have the resources to survive until rescue.
Mobility impaired people, from those with sprained or broken limbs to those who are paralyzed, you need to start your evacuation process early. If you’re in a vehicle, don’t drive through running water. Try to get your car onto as high a ground as possible. Drive off-road if you must in order to be safe. Roll a window down to make rescuing you easier.
Don’t “wait it out”, if someone comes by in a boat or helicopter and offers you a way out – take it. You can always evaluate your options after you’re in a safe zone and volunteer to return to help rescue others after you have yourself been rescued and have access to boats and ropes and essential rescue equipment.
Remember –
1. learn to swim
2. keep rope around
3. evacuate early
4. know how deep the water is
5. avoid running water if you can
6. don’t drive through running water deeper than 5 or 6 inches
7. accept the first rescue offer that comes your way
That’s how you survive a flood.
