How to recognize the conditions indicating that flash flooding and flood damage are imminent

1/18/2023 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: SERVPRO® of Northeast Fort Worth urges homeowners and businesses to watch out for the red flags pointing to flash flooding and water damage.

With over fifteen years of experience providing fire, water, and flood restoration services, the team at SERVPRO of Northeast Fort Worth takes severe weather and flash flooding risks seriously. FEMA highlights the dangers of flash flooding: “Flash floods can sweep away cars, tear out trees, and destroy buildings and bridges. As little as six inches of moving water can knock a person down. Two feet of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. Often there’s no warning that these sudden and deadly floods are coming. Most flood fatalities in the U.S. happen in flash floods.”

Severe weather occasionally disrupts the usually calm ebb and flow of life. Thunderstorms, a common example of severe weather, include several weather-related risk hazards. Intense thunderstorm activity can cause flash flooding when rivers and creeks overflow their banks. A stalled thunderstorm overwhelms a storm drainage system causing a micro-flood in a neighborhood. High winds associated with thunderstorms topple trees, damage roofs, and cause secondary damage from airborne debris. Tornadoes damage or destroy buildings and vehicles caught in their destructive path.

Texas is the nation’s leader in hail damage events. Texas insurance companies pay hundreds of millions of dollars in claims to cover the tens of thousands of vehicles damaged yearly by hail. Lightning strikes damage homes, ignite wildfires, cause power outages, and inflict personal injury.

Of all these risk hazards — flooding, lightning and lightning-induced wildfires, high winds, tornadoes, and hail — flash floods are the deadliest storm-related weather hazard in the United States. With this fact in mind, survival depends upon knowing the following:

• what a flash flood is
• what are the red flags indicating imminent flash flooding and water damage
• how to prepare for a flash flood
• how to handle the aftermath of a flood damage disaster

What is a flash flood?

A flash flood occurs very rapidly. Minimal time is available to warn the affected areas. Flash floods have been observed to occur in less than 60 seconds. Dry river beds and small streams are the breeding ground for flash floods. A small neighborhood with a storm drainage system incapable of handling many inches of rain over a short period is at significant risk of experiencing a flash flood. Flooding under these circumstances most likely is not covered by FEMA. A typical flood may result from intense rainfall hundreds of miles or more upstream. The floodwaters may take weeks to reach the areas that actually see the worst flooding.

Remember, pedestrians can be swept off their feet by as little as six inches of flowing water. Flowing floodwaters two or more feet deep can carry away most cars. Do not be deceived by water on the move!

Red flags indicating a flood may be imminent

The accurate prediction of the time and size of a flash flood is challenging because so many variables are involved. The solution is vigilance. Learn and recognize the conditions that point to an impending flash flood.

1. Flash floods usually occur within six hours of heavy and prolonged rainfall. When severe weather threatens, maintain a heightened awareness. Implement actions outlined in the family or business emergency readiness plan. Stay alert, but stay calm.
2. Pay attention to news reports of flooding rivers and creeks, dam breaks, or lake flooding. Determine if the flood waters will invade the floodplain around the home.
3. Take note of slow-moving storm cells that repeatedly drench the same area with heavy rainfall.
4. Be aware of reports of a hurricane or tropical storm moving through the area.
5. Standing water may indicate the ground is saturated. Farmland and forests absorb much more water than the roadways and parking lots of the cities and suburbs around northeast Fort Worth. The homeowner needs to know the lay of the land to identify any flood risks arising from terrain issues.
6. Pay special attention to announcements of a flood watch or flood warning from the National Weather Service. A “watch” alerts the local community that conditions are favorable for a flood. A “warning” is issued when floods are imminent or are already in progress.

How flash floods are predicted

The key to accurately predicting a flash flood risk is to identify a storm’s “bullseye,” which is where the rainfall is most intense. Forecasters must know the following:

• The amount of actual and anticipated rainfall
• The rate of rainfall per a set period of time, e.g., inches per hour)
• The saturation point of the soil
• The course the water will take once it begins to flow

Through modern satellite and radar technology, forecasters can glean much of this information in real-time and make predictions about the weather that give the people in the affected areas the time they need to take the appropriate measures to save lives.

The flood damage response

When a flash flood devastates a home and its contents, the best solution is to contact the professionals at SERVPRO of Northeast Fort Worth. Crews are available 24/7, 365 days a year, including holidays. A team of IICRC-certified technicians arrives on the scene in about an hour or so with industry-leading equipment, advanced moisture-detecting technology, advanced cleaning techniques, and EPA-approved cleaning products.

Contact SERVPRO of Northeast Fort Worth to learn more about flood restoration services in Meadowbrook, Fort Worth, TX. The office can be reached by phone at (817) 741-5737 or by email at office@SERVPROnortheastftworth.com.