• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Insiders: Log In
Saturday April 1st
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Briefing
    • Today
    • Future
  • Safety
  • Articles
  • KSStorm.Live
No Result
View All Result
KSStorm Info
KSStorm Info
  • Home
  • Briefing
    • Today
    • Future
  • Safety
  • Articles
  • KSStorm.Live
No Result
View All Result
KSStorm Info
No Result
View All Result

Storm Safety 2020: Flooding

Mark Bogner by Mark Bogner
2020-10-05 19:08 CDT
in Safety
0 0
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Pinterest

Previous Articles: Preparedness | Tornadoes | Lightning

Turn Around, Down’t Drown – this storm safety advice is something you have probably heard, and if you are a poet, have cringed at its use of the slide rhyme. And while it sounds a bit quaint and perhaps oversimplified, the truth of the matter is that flooding is the #1 killer in all of nature and by far and away, most of those deaths occur in vehicles.

2019 brought severe flooding to many parts of the state, after many days of heavy rainfall in May. Flooding was really the weather story of the year in Kansas, closing the Kansas Turnpike near Wellington for just over 2 days and impacting areas along the Missouri River near Atchison and Kansas City all summer and into the fall. This footage is from south central Kansas on May 8th:

Video credit: KWCH (https://www.kwch.com/content/news/WEATHER-ALERT-Storms-prompt-Flooding-Road-Closures–509629541.html)

For us here in Kansas, it may be surprising that it is the number one killer and that is because, while that applies to the U.S. as a whole, it doesn’t really apply to Kansas. We have averaged around two flooding deaths a year over the last ten years. Our neighbors to the south in Oklahoma have suffered closer to six a year. Nearly every case was completely preventable. Too often, people move from a place of relative safety to a place of danger by driving into water that is running over the road. There are two problems with that:

  • Roads wash away easily and it may be impossible to see that
  • it only takes about 18″ of water to float a full-sized vehicle.

Vehicles float very easily because they are shaped like a boat and have an inner-tube on each corner. Water is deceptively powerful and as it hits a vehicle from the side, the tires lose contact with the road and the vehicle starts to move sideways into deeper water in the ditch or creek. Once that happens, your chance of survival are greatly reduced.

Graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service

Another interesting statistic is that over 60% of all flooding fatalities are men. It’s so common there are memes….

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

Don’t let your macho pride lead to your death by thinking your vehicle will somehow make it through a place that you shouldn’t be going in the first place.

The second most common way people die in flooding is by walking into it. Again, going from a place of relative safety to a place of life-threatening danger.

So maybe the title of this article doesn’t sound so quaint and simplified. If you are driving or walking and you see a place where water is moving across the road or path in front of you, the rule is simple. TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN!

Like Thunderstorms and Tornadoes, there are Flood Watches & Warnings

What is the difference between a Flood Watch and a Flood Warning issued by the National Weather Service?

  • Flash Flood Warning: Take Action! A Flash Flood Warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring. If you are in a flood prone area move immediately to high ground. A flash flood is a sudden violent flood that can take from minutes to hours to develop. It is even possible to experience a flash flood in areas not immediately receiving rain.
    Flash Flood Warnings are changing to an Impact-Based format to improve public response. Read the factsheet.
  • Flood Warning: Take Action! A Flood Warning is issued when the hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening. A Flood Warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring.
  • Flood Watch: Be Prepared:A Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for a specific hazardous weather event to occur. A Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding. It does not mean flooding will occur, but it is possible.
  • Flood Advisory: Be Aware: An Flood Advisory is issued when a specific weather event that is forecast to occur may become a nuisance. A Flood Advisory is issued when flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning. However, it may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, it could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property.
NWS Graphic: All Flood Watch/Warning Products

(source)

Related Articles

23 severe weather awareness week wednesday story header

Prepare 2023: Fire Weather

2023-03-26 19:30 CDT
27

Prepare 2023: Severe Thunderstorms

2023-03-26 19:30 CDT
51
23 severe weather awareness week monday feature banner

Prepare 2023: Looking Back, Looking Forward

2023-03-26 19:30 CDT
78
Photo by Tehmasip Khan from Pexels

Weather and Our Fur Kids

2022-03-18 06:43 CDT
53
Load More
Mark Bogner

Mark Bogner

Raised on a farm near Kingman, KS in the middle of tornado country sparked a love for meteorology early in life. I went on to study Atmospheric Science at the University of Kansas where I graduated in 1990. I worked for WeatherData, Inc. (now AccuWeather) full time before moving over to KSNW-TV full-time in 1995. I remained on air until 2013 before taking a brief break, then starting up my own independent weather forecasting for various radio and TV stations. I also began teaching meteorology at Butler Community College and continue to do so. Currently, my forecasts can be heard and seen on KSOK and KGPT. I am married with three adult children and enjoy spending time on the family farm (mostly looking at the wide-open sky!).

Next Post
The deep, dark secrets of severe weather safety

Will This Be a Bad Severe Weather Season?

Connect with us

  • 610 Followers
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
blizzard

Second Signficant Snowstorm Imminent for Kansas

2022-02-16 21:42 CST

Risk Upgrade

2021-10-12 08:44 CDT
multi vortex

Andover Tornado: Photos and Video

2022-04-30 01:06 CDT

First Look: Multi-Day Event Next Week?

2022-04-08 08:18 CDT

When a City Loses Its Ever-lovin’ Mind

The 3 Things Tornado Victims Wish They Had

Have mercy on the TV weather departments

NOAA Lightning at night

There is No Such Thing as a Professional Chaser

Aware 2021: The consistent economic damage outperformer of all weather hazards

Watching the Weather

2023-03-27 11:15 CDT
pxl 20230326 223810156

Ready for the Season, 2023

2023-03-26 19:22 CDT
severe weather awareness week monday pm feature header

Prepare 2023: Andover EF-3 Tornado (2022) Retrospective

2023-03-09 18:01 CST
2016 05 16 tornado north of solomon, kansas

Prepare 2023: Tornadoes

2023-03-26 19:29 CDT

Recommended

Aware 2021: The consistent economic damage outperformer of all weather hazards

Watching the Weather

2023-03-27 11:15 CDT
16
pxl 20230326 223810156

Ready for the Season, 2023

2023-03-26 19:22 CDT
63
severe weather awareness week monday pm feature header

Prepare 2023: Andover EF-3 Tornado (2022) Retrospective

2023-03-09 18:01 CST
19
2016 05 16 tornado north of solomon, kansas

Prepare 2023: Tornadoes

2023-03-26 19:29 CDT
37
Twitter Instagram Pinterest Twitch RSS Youtube

About KSStorm.Info

We're a collaboration of weather enthusiasts who live the goal of providing accurate, hype-free weather forecasts, outlooks, and safety information. Our focus is Kansas.

More about KSStorm.Info

All material on this site is © KSStorm Media and may not be used or reposted anywhere without express permission.
Call or email for licensing.

KSStorm Info Services

  • PERKS: Become a KSStorm.Info Insider
  • Chase with Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Need a Speaker?
    Storm Safety Talk

© 2021 KSStorm Media, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Want to use something from this site? Email or Call to license.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Briefing
    • Today
    • Future
  • Safety
  • Articles
  • KSStorm.Live

© 2021 KSStorm Media, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Want to use something from this site? Email or Call to license.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install this KSStorm Info on your iPhone and then Add to Home Screen

×

Add KSStorm Info to your Homescreen!

Add
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.

By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc. Read more