Flooding Safety Tips

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- According to Federal Emergency Management Agency, floods are the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. Oklahoma residents are reminded to follow these safety tips during flooding:

Vehicle Safety:

• Avoid driving during a flash flood.
• If you can't see the road, don't drive in it. Turn around and take a different route. If there is no other route, drive to higher ground and wait for the water to recede.
• Even if the water appears shallow enough to cross, don't try it. Water hides dips in the road. Worse yet, there may be no road at all under the water. Flooding can scour away the entire road and a significant amount of ground beneath.
• Six inches of water can reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing you to lose control or possibly stall.
• Two feet of flowing water is enough to sweep your vehicle away – including SUV's and pickups.
• Never drive around road barriers. They are there for a reason.
• Attempts to move stalled vehicles can end in drowning.

Pedestrian Safety:

• Avoid walking in floodwater. Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths. If you must walk through a flooded area, use a pole or stick to ensure that the ground is solid, even where the water is not flowing.
• Six inches of swiftly moving water can knock you off of your feet.
• Do not play near creeks or drainage areas.
• It is not safe for anyone, regardless of your swimming ability, to swim in floodwater. Besides the danger of swift current, the water can be contaminated.
• Retention basins are sometimes used as sports fields and walking areas when the ground is dry. Avoid these areas when they are filled with water. The primary purpose of these basins is to hold water and keep rain from flooding surrounding neighborhoods. Their secondary purpose is recreation.
• If you come in contact with floodwater, wash your hands with soap and disinfected water.

Home Safety:

• Find out if you live in a flood-prone area.
• Plan and practice an evacuation route.
• Turn off all utilities at the main power switch and close the main gas valve if advised to do so.
• Consider purchasing flood insurance, particularly if you live near a creek.
• If water rises in your home before you can evacuate, call 911 and go to the top floor or roof.