Health and safety risks. Water damage from flooding produces a veritable cornucopia of health and safety risks if water is not immediately cleaned up, including: Structural damage Electrical damage and risks Sharp glasses and metals Sanitary hazards and diseases from standing water Contaminated drinking water Defunct drainage and sewage systems Cut off communications Road and bridge destruction Landslides Damaged crops And so much more… Loss of life.
The most devastating affect flood damage can have on you or your business is loss of life. Flash floods are the number one weather-related killer in the U. Emotional hardship. Flood victims can experience difficulty coping with their situation, experiencing anxiety, depression, fear, anger, frustration, sadness, and grief.
These symptoms can interfere with relationships, cause trouble sleeping, depress appetite, and more. Property damage. Ninety percent of damage related to all natural disasters is caused by water damage due to flood. Most people know that floods have the potential to cause damage across cities and neighborhoods. Depending on the severity of a flood, you may be left needing to make expensive repairs if one damages your home. Everyone is at risk for flooding, so understanding how a flood can damage your home, and what steps you can take to protect your property, can help you be better prepared.
From loose floorboards to mold , a flood can damage your home in many ways. But, before you re-enter your house to survey the damage, be sure to walk around and visually inspect the property for structural damage, and check for downed power lines or gas leaks, recommends Ready. Do not enter the home if you have any doubts on whether it's safe to do so. Structural and Electrical Damage Floods can cause structural damage, such as loose or buckling floors and roof or foundation cracks, says Ready.
You may also notice broken or frayed electrical wires in your home after a flood. If you or your clothes are wet, or if any wires are wet, avoid touching outlets, switches and the electrical box, and have an electrician inspect the wiring. Appliance Damage The appliances in your home, including the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, water heaters or refrigerators, can be compromised by flood water. If you re-enter your home and find that they are wet or damaged, you should turn off the home's electricity, if it's safe to do so, and refrain from using them until they've been inspected by a professional, recommends Ready.
Keep in mind that the food in your home may also spoil due to lack of refrigeration from a power outage, or from coming into contact with flood water. Be sure to throw away items that have produced mold or emit a foul odor. This means that in addition to building materials, such as drywall, flooring and insulation, your personal property — such as clothing and furniture — can be affected by mold after a flood.
One way to help prevent the growth and spread of mold is to dry out your home and belongings as soon as possible. Open the windows and, if an electrician has determined that it's safe to use the electricity, use fans and dehumidifiers to help dry out the house, recommends the CDC. Authorities may ask you to boil water for a while after a flood. Utility companies often have apps to update you on getting service back.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms when areas are dealing with power outages. Never use a portable generator inside your home or garage.
Review generator safety. Avoid Flood Waters: Standing water hides many dangers including toxins and chemicals. There may be sharp objects under the water or the road could have collapsed. If it is likely your home will flood, don't wait for evacuation order, get out! The Category 4 storm killed over 6, people, with most official reports citing closer to 8, dead. Storm surge killed many on trains attempting to evacuate the city. Floodwaters destroyed bridges and telegraph lines, keeping those outside of the city from realizing the extent of the damage for some time.
In fact, storm surge deaths caused by hurricanes dominate the list of flood dangers in the United States. These include the second most dangerous storm, the Okeechobee Hurricane in , which caused over 2, deaths. In contrast, Hurricane Katrina claimed fewer than 2, lives. Other dangerous incidents of flooding include a dam failure in Buffalo Creek, West Virginia. The dam, declared "satisfactory" only four days before the disaster, set off a chain reaction, as pressure from first broken dam caused a second to burst, and then a third.
More than million gallons of water were released, claiming lives while injuring more than 1, people. Almost all 5, of the residents downstream were left homeless. Waters reached speeds of more than 30 feet per second, moving ton boulders with their powerful currants.
As the globe warms, flooding could become a more widespread problem. Warm air holds more moisture than cool air, so the heaviest precipitation events could become heavier as air temperatures tick upward.
In , Climate Central analyzed rain gauge records since and found that 40 out of the 48 states in the continental United States have seen increased heavy downpours over that time period. The Northeast now sees 31 percent more heavy downpours than it did in The Midwest sees 16 percent more. Heavy downpours are defined as events where the precipitation dropped from the skies is more than the amount that accumulates from the top 1 percent of all rain and snow days over the study period.
These bursts of precipitation — which usually fell as rain but sometimes as snow, the analysis found — are tough on infrastructure and can cause flooding.
NOAA data also shows an increase in one-day precipitation events single days of either rain or snow since the middle of the 20th century. Climate models suggest that global flood risk will change as the world warms. One study in Nature Climate Change , for example, found large increases in the frequency of floods in eastern Africa, Southeast Asia, parts of India and parts of the Andes under climate change.
In glacial areas, climate change is likely to contribute to devastating floods more directly. Melting glaciers can put pressure on the natural dams that corral meltwater into the stunningly beautiful high-altitude lakes that dot places like the Himalayas and the Andes.
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