Flooding Safety Rules

Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook
River Flood Threat

Flooding Safety Rules

Learn your vulnerability to flooding by determining the elevation of your property. Evaluate your insurance coverage; as construction grows around areas, floodplains change. If you are in a flood area, consider what mitigation measure you can do in advance.

In highly flood-prone areas, keep materials on hand like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, plastic garbage bags, lumber, shovels, work boots and gloves. Call your county emergency management agency to learn how to construct proper protective measures around your home.

Be aware of streams, drainage channels and areas known to flood, so you or your evacuation routes are not cut off.

Monitor NOAA Weather Radio.

Avoid driving into water of unknown depth. Moving water can quickly sweep your vehicle away.

Restrict children from playing in flooded areas.

Test drinking water for potability; wells should be pumped out and the water tested before drinking.

Do not use fresh food that has come in contact with floodwaters. Wash canned goods that come in contact with floodwaters with soap and hot water.

Stay away from downed power lines.

Flood Statistics

Statistics to remember if you are ever faced with the decision of crossing a flooded roadway

As little as one foot of water can move most cars off the road.

Just six inches of fast-moving flood water can sweep a person off his or her feet.

Most flood-related deaths occur at night and are vehicular.

Urban and small stream flash floods often occur in less than one hour.

Tropical cyclones pose significant risk well inland due to fresh water flooding.

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND FLOODING.

Never Drive Across a Flooded Road!

Whether it is a severe thunderstorm, tropical weather system or a hurricane, heavy rainfall in Florida causes flooding problems.

When a large amount of rain falls over a short period of time, ditches, rivers and lakes become filled with water and overflow into low-lying or poorly drained areas. In addition to the high frequency of excessive rainfall events, the impacts of flooding in Florida may increase as the state's population and urban development grows.

Flood Statistics

Statistics clearly point out the high risk of driving in and around flooded roads and low spots. Usually, individuals between the ages of 30-39 years old attempt to drive through flooded roads only to be wisked away by rushing waters. The rule is simple: if you cannot see the road or its line markings, do not drive through the water.

Effect of Moving Water on Vehicles

Moving water exerts a pressure on an object such as a car or person. As water depth increases or a greater area is exposed to moving water, a greater force will be exerted. Also, as a surface becomes slippery, friction is reduced. Water, sand, or mud tends to replace the frictional forces that hold a car in place.

Consideration of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

Even though the weight of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) may appear to offer a greater protection in crossing flooded roads, their size and larger tires can make them more buoyant and more prone to being swept away. Bottom Line: It is just as dangerous to drive an SUV through flooded waters as a regular vehicle.

Person walking thru flood Pooling of Water

Due to the relatively flat terrain across Florida, it is much more complicated to drain accumulated water. When rivers rise, water tends to spread out far from riverbanks. In the case of the 1997-98 El Niño floods, rising rivers and repeated periods of heavy rainfall combined to pool water over land miles away from rivers. In fact, normally small rivers turned into vast lakes.

Pooling of water poses a significant risk, not as much from swift moving water, but more from one's inability to judge water depth. Water only inches deep can be next to water that is several feet deep.

Tropical Cyclones and Inland Flooding

Florida is affected by a large number of tropical weather systems. Although storm surge has the greatest potential for loss of life, recent research indicates that inland flooding is responsible for the greatest number of fatalities over the last 30 years. Studies show that 59 percent of the tropical cyclone deaths in the United States resulted from severe inland flooding.

Urban Flooding

An area of low pressure moving toward the Southwest Florida gulf coast in October 2000 dumped nearly 10-20 inches of rain across southeast Florida. This produced a 10-mile wide swath of urban flooding in Miami-Dade and southeast Broward counties. This system eventually formed into Tropical Storm Leslie off the northeast Florida coast.

In addition to damaged roads and agricultural areas, nearly 93,000 residences or 214,000 persons were flooded or isolated by the urban flood waters. Three persons died as indirect effects of the event- two from drowning by driving vehicles into deep water, and one from a fall.

Threat Awareness