Here in Western North Carolina, we are subject to an awful lot of rainfall. The past few years have been especially bad for rain storms, and there’s a frequent occurrence of the emergency alert system going off on our cellphones warning of “flash floods” due to the accumulation of rainfall that have been recorded by local weather stations.
According to FEMA’s flood plain map, much of Hendersonville is located within a flood zone. Maybe you’ve noticed after a rainstorm how deep the water gets up off of Greenville Highway by The Fresh Market, or perhaps downtown Hendersonville, with numerous other riverside neighborhoods, towns and bridges in the area getting flooded out after a rain storm. To find out if your neighborhood, city or town is located in a flood plain, click here and type your address in to assess your risk.
Flooding is the most common natural disaster that occurs in the United States according to Ready.gov. Floods are caused by heavy rainfall, melting snow and ice, coastal storms, and overflows of dams and other water systems throughout the U.S. They are one of the most underrated disasters, killing nearly 100 people annually in the U.S. alone, with trends showing a gradual increase of deaths by flooding over the past few years. Flooding has cost the U.S roughly $75 billion worth of damage over the past several decades according to CNBC. That article is here.
Flooding and flood warnings in this area are fairly common, so how should you prepare for them and what are some things to put into an emergency kit? Here are some ideas on what to add to an emergency kit and afterwards we’ll briefly discuss some other tips on staying safe during flooding.
1. Have a minimum of 3 days potable water and food supplies for each member of your household. You will need a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation needs and a minimum 3-day supply of non-perishable, ready to eat food. MRE’s and canned foods are ideal due to the potential for a power outage where you may not have access to a stove or other electrical appliance to cook food on. Make sure you also have a can opener to get into said food. This part of your kit should include items for your pets as well, such as a supply of potable water, pet food, pet medications, and proof of vaccine and health clearance paperwork for your furry, feathered, finned and scaled family members too.
2. Purchase a battery operated or hand crank weather radio approved by NOAA with a tone alert and add it to your emergency pack. Hand crank is ideal, because the energy is generated from cranking it by hand, and doesn’t need to rely on batteries or any other external power source to keep it running.
3. Ensure that you have enough flashlights, as well as enough batteries to power them. Weather radios often include flashlights as part of their design, which could be helpful so you may want to consider that when purchasing one, but additional flashlights are a good thing to have.
4. Make copies of important documents and have photos of family and friends on your person in the event you get separated from them or lost. Documents that are good to have on hand are: health and car insurance ID’s, driver’s licenses, passports, medication lists, special medical conditions (such as diabetes, heart issues, autism or dementia etc.), medication, environmental and food allergy lists (allergic to bee stings, penicillin or peanut butter for example), social security cards, birth certificates, and citizenship papers (if applicable) as well as anything else you think you may need to verify your identity and keep you safe in the event you are hurt, lost or separated from your family. Laminate these documents or put them in a water and fire proof safe in an easy to access location for quick reference as needed.
5. Purchase or create a first aid kit, and include any prescription medications for your family and pets for an extended period (2 weeks or more) just in case. Some ideas for supplies for building a first aid kit are: bandages, ace wraps, tourniquet, tweezers, scissors, instant ice packs, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, over the counter meds such as or cold and flu meds, anti-nausea and diarrheal meds, aspirin, Benadryl, ibuprofen, Tylenol, antibiotic ointment, styptic powder, electrolyte powder singles for adding to water, and potable water tablets.
6. Don’t forget your cellphone and any backup chargers or power banks that can be powered by solar or batteries as in the event of an emergency you probably won’t have access to electricity.
Now onto some advice and tips to keep you safe during a flooding event or a flood warning.
1. Before a warning or flooding even starts, purchase a flood insurance plan for your home and property. The standard home or renter’s insurance offers no protection against floods and another policy is usually necessary. This is because water damage is horribly expensive to repair, and a special policy is needed to accommodate these circumstances. Note that most flood insurance plans require a 30-day waiting period to become effective, so doing it now is recommended. To find out more and research and purchase a flood insurance policy, visit FEMA’s page here for more guidance on the topic.
2. It only takes 6 inches of moving water to knock you off your feet and 1 foot of moving water to sweep your vehicle away. If you’re driving and you encounter flood water, do NOT try to attempt to drive through it or ignore road closures and barricades, as they are there for a reason and that reason is people’s safety! Same goes for if you’re walking, don’t try to walk or run through flood waters. If you see fast moving water, avoid it at all costs. Simply turn around, and don’t drown!
3. Depending on the type of flooding or how fast it’s coming, evacuate if told to do so. Staying in your flooding home can have dire consequences for you and your family, so better be safe than sorry. If you are truly unable to evacuate, seek out higher ground or a higher floor of your home immediately.
For more information on emergency preparedness, including flooding information, visit the Ready.gov website here. This site is a tremendous resource that includes information on creating a family safety plan, advice on what to add to an emergency kit, special considerations for individuals who may be a caretaker of a senior or special needs individual, pet owners and more. For more statistics and information about flooding as a hazard, visit the Weather Channel page here.