Officials with the National Weather Service say flash floods are the leading weather-related killer in the United States. It’s Severe Weather Preparedness Week in South Dakota and officials want to remind the public how to stay safe in bad weather.
Susan Sanders is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. She says most flash flooding deaths come when high water sweeps away a vehicle.
Sanders advises drivers to watch for any water covering the road, especially at night.
“If you drive into flooded waters, you don’t know if the roads may be washed out or the bridges washed out, you don’t know how deep the water is, and a full-size vehicle could be floated away by only one to two foot of moving water," Sanders says.
Sanders also recommends finding higher ground away from any streams that could potentially flood.
Sioux Falls meteorologist Jennifer Hacker urges people to respond to all flash flood warnings issued in their area. Like other severe weather alerts, they are usually in effect for one to three hours.
“Especially in urban areas, I know in Sioux Falls there’s certain areas that tend to flood, just low-lying areas where the water tends to pool, so just be aware of those locations in your city or in your area. Even out in rural areas, if you’re living near a stream or creek bed that can quickly come out of its banks when we get a heavy rain, just be aware of the surroundings like that," Hacker says.
Hacker hopes people realize how powerful flood waters can be and to practice the motto “Turn around, don’t drown,” in order to find appropriate shelter.