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"In the 1970s,
'80s, and '90s, inland flooding was responsible for more than half of the
deaths associated with tropical cyclones in the United States."
Ed
Rappaport
National Hurricane Center
Consider
the following:

Tropical Storm Allison
Harris County Flood Control District |
When
it comes to hurricanes, wind speeds do not tell the whole story. Hurricanes produce
storm surges, tornadoes, and often the most deadly of all - inland flooding.
While
storm surge is always a potential threat, more people have died from inland
flooding from 1970 up to 2000. Intense rainfall is not directly related to the
wind speed of tropical cyclones. In fact, some of the greatest rainfall amounts
occur from weaker storms that drift slowly or stall over an area.
Inland
flooding can be a major threat to communities hundreds of miles from the
coast as intense rain falls from these huge tropical air masses.
Tropical Storm
Allison (2001) produced extremely heavy rainfall and catastrophic floods in
the Houston, Texas area. Allison then acquired subtropical characteristics and
continued to produce heavy rainfall and flooding near its track from Louisiana
eastward to North Carolina, and then northward along the U.S. east coast to
Massachusetts. Forty-one deaths were directly related to the heavy rain, flooding,
tornadoes, and high surf. Damage estimates reported by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) were near $5 billion, with approximately $4.8 billion
in the Houston metropolitan area alone
Hurricane
Floyd (1999) brought intense rains and record flooding to the Eastern U.S. Of
the 56 people who perished, 50 drowned due to inland flooding.

Hurricane Floyd Courtesy of NASA/GSFC |
Tropical
Storm Alberto (1994) drifted over the Southeast United States and produced torrential
rainfall. More than 21 inches of rain fell at Americus, Georgia. Thirty-three
people drowned. Damages exceeded $750 million.
Tropical Storm Claudette (1979) brought 45 inches of rain to an area near Alvin,
Texas, contributing to more than $600 million in damages.
Hurricane Agnes (1972) produced floods in the Northeast United States which
contributed to 122 deaths and $6.4 billion in damages. Long after the winds
from Hurricane Diane (1955) subsided, the storm brought inland flooding to Pennsylvania,
New York, and New England contributing to nearly 200 deaths and $4.2 billion
in damages.
In a study from 1970 to 1999,
freshwater flooding accounted for more than half (59%) of U.S. tropical cyclone deaths.
These floods are why 63% of U.S. tropical cyclone deaths
during that period occurred in inland counties.
At
least 23% of U.S. tropical cyclone deaths occur to people who drown in, or attempting
to abandon, their cars.
78%
of children killed by tropical cyclones drowned in freshwater floods.
So, the next time you hear hurricane -- think inland flooding!
What
can you do?
- When
you hear hurricane, think inland flooding.
- Determine
whether you live in a potential flood zone.
-
If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
- Keep
abreast of road conditions through the news media.
- Move
to a safe area before access is cut off by flood water.
- Do
not attempt to cross flowing water. As little as six inches of water may cause
you to lose control of your vehicle.
- Develop
a flood emergency action plan.
- Have
flood insurance.
Flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.
Do not make assumptions. Check your policy.
The National Flood
Insurance Program, is a pre-disaster flood mitigation and insurance protection
program. The National Flood Insurance Program makes federally backed flood insurance
available to residents and business owners
National
Flood Insurance Program call 1-888-CALL-FLOOD ext. 445,
TDD# 1-800-427-5593.
RELATED
INFORMATION
NEVER
DRIVE ACROSS A FLOODED ROAD
TURN
AROUND DON'T DROWN
TROPICAL
CYCLONE FATALITIES 1970-1999
RELATED
MULTIMEDIA
AVOID
FLOOD DAMAGE - CHECKLIST (0.2mb )
MAX
MAYFIELD DISCUSSES - INLAND
FLOODING (0.3mb MP3 )
RELATED
WEBSITES
RIVER
FORECAST CENTERS
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER
IN
DEPTH REVIEW OF TROPICAL STORM ALLISON
6
WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR HOUSE FROM FLOODING
NATIONAL
FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM
ADDITIONAL
SAFETY INFORMATION
INLAND FLOODING
SAFETY ACTIONS
- When you hear
hurricane, think inland flooding.
- Learn your vulnerability
to flooding by determining the elevation of your property.
- Evaluate your
insurance coverage; as construction grows around areas, floodplains change.
If you are in a flood area, consider what mitigation measure you can do in
advance. More from the National
Flood Insurance Program.
- In highly flood-prone
areas, keep materials on hand like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, plastic
garbage bags, lumber, shovels, work boots and gloves. Call your local emergency
management agency to learn how to construct proper protective measures around
your home.
- Be aware of
streams, drainage channels and areas known to flood, so you or your evacuation
routes are not cut off.
- Monitor NOAA
Weather Radio.
- Avoid driving
into water of unknown depth. Moving water can quickly sweep your vehicle away.
- Restrict children
from playing in flooded areas.
- Test drinking
water for potability; wells should be pumped out and the water tested before
drinking.
- Do not use fresh
food that has come in contact with floodwaters. Wash canned goods that come
in contact with floodwaters with soap and hot water.
- Stay away from
downed power lines.
HISTORIC
INLAND FLOODING EVENTS
- TS ALLISON
2001
Allison produced catastrophic floods in Houston, TX which contributed
to 41 deaths and $5 billion in damages. More...
- FLOYD
1999
Floyd brought intense rains and record flooding to the Eastern U.S. Of the
56 people who perished, 50 drowned due to inland flooding. More...
- TS
ALBERTO 1994
Alberto drifted over the Southeast United States and produced torrential rainfall.
More than 21 inches of rain fell at Americus, Georgia. Thirty-three people
drowned. Damages exceeded $750 million. More...
- TS
CLAUDETTE 1979
Claudette brought 45 inches of rain to an area near Alvin, Texas, contributing
to more than $600 million in damages. More...
- AGNES
1972
Agnes produced floods in the Northeast United States which contributed
to 122 deaths and $6.4 billion in damages. More...
- CAMILLE
1969
A Category 5 hurricane, the most powerful on the Saffir/Simpson Scale with
maximum winds of more than 200mph devastated the Mississippi coast. The final
death count for the U.S. is listed at 256. This includes 143 on the Gulf coast
and another 113 from the Virginia floods. More...
- DIANE
1955
The storm brought inland flooding to Pennsylvania, New York, and New England
contributing to nearly 200 deaths and $4.2 billion in damages. More...
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Inland
Flooding
Safety Actions |
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|
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|
When
you hear hurricane, think inland flooding. |
|
Learn
your vulnerability to flooding by determining the elevation
of your property. |
|
Evaluate
your insurance coverage; as construction grows around areas,
floodplains change. If you are in a flood area, consider what
mitigation measure you can do in advance. More from the National
Flood Insurance Program. |
|
In
highly flood-prone areas, keep materials on hand like sandbags,
plywood, plastic sheeting, plastic garbage bags, lumber, shovels,
work boots and gloves. Call your local emergency management
agency to learn how to construct proper protective measures
around your home. |
|
Be
aware of streams, drainage channels and areas known to flood,
so you or your evacuation routes are not cut off. |
 |
Monitor
NOAA Weather Radio.
|
 |
Avoid
driving into water of unknown depth. Moving water can quickly
sweep your vehicle away. |
 |
Restrict
children from playing in flooded areas. |
 |
Test
drinking water for potability; wells should be pumped out
and the water tested before drinking. |
 |
Do
not use fresh food that has come in contact with floodwaters.
Wash canned goods that come in contact with floodwaters with
soap and hot water. |
 |
Stay
away from downed power lines. |
|
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Rainfall:
Rule of thumb |
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Rainfall
is generally heaviest with slower moving storms (less than
10 mph).
To estimate the total rainfall in inches from a
hurricane, divide 100 by the forward speed of the storm in
miles per hour (100 / forward speed = estimated inches of
rain). |
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Your
local NWS forecast office may have a more accurate estimation
method for your area. |
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