Fire Marshal: Flood and Flash Flood Facts

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Throckmorton Street

Other Severe Weather

Flood and Flash Flood Facts

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Flooding poses tremendous danger to both people and property. Since 1900, floods have taken more than 10,000 lives in the United States alone.

Why are there so many fatalities? Rocky Lopes, Disaster Services rep for the American Red Cross and Project SafeSide spokesperson, explains. "Floods can be very deceptive. It's difficult to judge the depth, speed, and power of flood waters; in an instant, you can be swept into a drainage system or your car floated off a road or bridge."

The Big Thompson Canyon (Colorado) Flood, which killed 140 people in 1976, proved a tragic illustration of a sobering statistic 95% of those killed in a flash flood try to outrun the waters along their path rather than climbing rocks or going uphill to higher grounds.

Most people are unaware that:

80% of flood deaths occur in vehicles, and most happen when drivers make a single, fatal mistake trying to navigate through flood waters.
Just 6 inches of rapidly moving flood water can knock a person down.
A mere 2 feet of water can float a large vehicle even a bus.
One-third of flooded roads and bridges are so damaged by water that any vehicle trying to cross stands only a 50% chance of making it to the other side.
Beyond the risk of fatalities, floods devastate homes, towns, and even entire regions. The great Mississippi River Flood of 1993 covered an area 500 miles long and 200 miles wide. More than 50,000 homes were damaged, and 12,000 miles of farmland were washed out.

Content Last Modified on 1/22/2004 10:35:36 AM

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