"We haven't seen this level of rain in the Lowcountry in 1,000 years," South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley stated. 24 inches of rain have fallen in Mount Pleasant, 20 inches around Charleston and more than 18 inches in the Gills Creek area of Columbia.
The biggest peril is on the state's roadways. The historic rainfall and flooding has been responsible for three deaths and more than 750 roadway rescues in one 12-hour stretch. It takes just twelve inches of flowing water to carry off a car. The people of North Carolina have been warned to stay inside and off all of the roadways. Some interstate highways in and around Columbia have even been closed.
Six hundred National Guardsmen have been deployed to assist in rescues and evacuations, hundreds more are on standby in addition to the eight swift water rescue teams and 11 aircraft currently deployed. The weather service calls for catastrophic flash flooding.
Both Carolinas, New Jersey and Virginia were under states of emergency. Flood watches are stretched from Georgia to Delaware.
The low pressure area associated with rain soaking the Carolinas is funneling heavy tropical moisture into the region, creating torrential rainfall. Another 24 hours of heavy rainfall is expected.
Read the full story here.
Questions:
1. How does one prepare for such heavy rainfall?
2. What are several safety procedures you should follow during floods?
3. Has anyone in your family ever experienced a flood? What is their experience?
My Opinion:
I believe one prepares for a flood with plenty of canned goods and food. I would make sure to have all of my shots updated. Sandbagging is a popular method or move possessions up to higher ground. Turn around, don't drown and drive to higher ground. You want to stay informed and never drive on flooded roadways. Yes, my aunt and her family was without water for two weeks because it flooded in the water plant in Des Moines. They had to go to Camp Dodge to shower and had to wait in long lines. My younger cousins, who were three and five at the time, came to stay out here. My dad's crops have been flooded a total of three times and our basement has flooded too.
Replies
Again, excellent job!!
Yes make sure you have plenty of food and basic needs obviously, and then consider investing in a boat. Or if you watched the weather before hand, you might want to find some family to stay with that live out of state. Invite them over to sandbag and then get out of there.
I would definitely try and find a home to live in out of state for a while. You should always try to avoid the flood waters and go someplace safer surrounded by friends or family. I would also make sure to have life jackets, especially if you don't swim, because you never know. Always avoid the water as much as you can and if a road is flooded over try a different route.
You make sure you have plenty of food and water and fi the power goes out then you need some flash lights and plenty of blankets. Make sure you stay worm and well fed and hydrayted.
Make sure you are hydrated on a daily basis anyway. Try to make sure you eat on a daily basis and you might also want an extra pair of clothes. Just make sure to be prepared. Stock up ahead of time on food and water so that grocery stores don't run out before you get there. If you check Snapchat they have a live feed from Columbia, South Carolina, which was one of the hardest hit areas.
Try to be at a high point to avoid the flooding. Don't drive in flood waters, stay out of the water.
Always try to use your common sense! If you are told to evacuate, please evacuate as soon as possible. Do not wade in the water longer than is necessary there could be parasites (etc.) in the water (it isn't always the cleanest). Make sure you have enough supplies if you have to wait out the flood. Prepare for several weeks at least. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WATER.
I think it's awful that they're going through this. I couldn't begin to imagine what it'd be like to have all of your belongings just be destroyed. I guess I would just take everything that's important first somewhere else, then come back for whatever else I could.
It is a life changing experience. This flooding has already impacted so many lives. Many people did not have a chance to take their belongings and now find themselves starting from scratch. It would be very hard to leave your home behind knowing you might not see it again.
I would prepare for a flood by stocking up on lots of canned goods and making sure the house is as water tight as possible. I would also make sure my family has life jackets just encase. As thinks I would do encase of a flood I would try to find high ground and make sure not to go outside. No one in my family has experience with bad flooding and hope that stays the case.
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