Flash Flood

3/23/2020 (Permalink)

Spring is coming and I will speak for myself when I shout, “Hallelujah!” I’m ready to be outside in the warm sunshine planting flowers and my vegetable garden. These are my first thoughts when you mention spring, however, we all know that rain, rain, and more rain is also associated with spring here in central Illinois. Being prepared for rain can be quite difficult. Even with all of our technology, it's still very difficult to predict exactly how much precipitation we will get and even more importantly, how quickly we will get it.  When we experience a large amount of rain in a short amount of time, this could cause a flash flood.

Flash floods can be extremely dangerous. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes, and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, tropical storm, or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields.

We need to be ever vigilant in large amounts of rain in a short amount of time. It’s very dangerous to walk around or drive in flash flood conditions.  Water moving at 9 feet per second (2.7 meters per second), a common speed for flash floods, can move rocks weighing almost a hundred pounds. Flash floods carry debris that elevates their potential to damage structures and injure people. If you find yourself in the middle of a flash flood, stay inside if at all possible. If you are outdoors and cannot get inside, go to high ground. Try to stay out of the way of debris. Flash floods are extremely dangerous but fortunately, they don’t last too long. If you find a safe place, stay there until you know it’s safe to move. 

As always, if disaster strikes, SERVPRO of Springfield, Sangamon, Morgan, Cass, and Montgomery counties is always here for you. We can be reached 24/7 at 217-528-7775.