Floods

FLOODS BY V. RAMA LI NGAM EN V.ED N.CE LL STA TE TR AININ G CENT RE DI REC TO RATE OF SC HO OL ED UCA TI ON PO ND ICHE RR Y

Floods are one of the most common hazards in India. Flood effects can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, affecting entire river basins and multiple states.

However, all floods are not alike. Some floods develop slowly, sometimes over a period of days. But flash floods can develop quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes and without any visible signs of rain.

India accounts one fifth of the global deaths count due to floods

Over 30 million people are displaced yearly

The most flood prone states are Assam, Bihar,West Bengal, Orrissa, A.P, Gujarat etc.

Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water that carries rocks, mud, and other debris and can sweep away most things in its path.

Flo odin g can also occur wh en a dam breaks, pro ducin g effe cts simil ar to fla sh floods. Be a wa re o f fl ood h aza rds n o matt er wh ere you live , b ut especially if you li ve i n a lo wly ing area, n ear wa te r o r down str eam fro m a dam.

Every st ate i s a t r isk fr om th is h aza rd.

What Would You Do? You and your family moved from a neighborhood area

You always kept some extra food, water, and other supplies on hand and maintained an earthquake insurance policy, just in case something happened.

FloodWatch: Flooding is possible. Tune in to Radio or television for information.

Flash Flood Watch: Flash flooding is possible. Be prepared to move to higher ground; listen to Weather reports in Radio, television for information

Take Protectice Measures Before a Flood To prepare for a flood, you should: Avoid build in g i n a flo odplain u nle ss you e le vate and rein fo rce y our home . Elevate t he f urn ace, wate r h eater, and electric panel if susceptib le to flo odin g. Install "check valves" in sewer traps to prevent flood water from backing up into the drains of your home.

Effective evacuation plan should be prepared and rehearsed.

Train people in saving lives during floods. Area flood mapping should be updated and prepared time to time

Drainage system in the area should be kept free of silt.

Construct b arriers (levees, beams , flo odwalls ) to s to p flo odwa te r fro m e nterin g the build ing. Se al wa lls in basements with wa terproofin g c ompounds t o avoid seepage.

During a F lo od If a flo od is li kely i n your are a, y ou should :

Lis te n to th e radio o r t ele visio n fo r i nfo rmation. Be a wa re t hat fla sh f lo oding can occur. If there i s a ny possibil it y of a fla sh flood, mo ve imm edia tely to hig her g round. Do n ot wait fo r in str uctions to move. Be aware of streams, drainage channels, canyons, and other areas known to flood suddenly. Flash floods can occur in these areas with or without such typical warnings as rain clouds or heavy rain.

If you must prepare to evacuate, you should do the following: Secure yo ur home . If yo u have tim e, bring in outd oor fu rniture. Mo ve essentia l i tems to a n u pper fl oor. Turn off u tilitie s a t th e ma in switc hes or va lves i f i nst ructed to do so. Disc onnect e le ctric al appli ances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

Do not use slippers as you may slip

During rainy season be cautious of domestic animals especially dogs around you as these animals become restless in wet weather

WHA T WOU LD YOU D O? If yo u have to leave your home, reme mb er t hese e vacuation tip s:

Do n ot wa lk t hro ugh mo vin g wa ter. Six in ches o f mo vin g wa ter can make y ou fa ll. If yo u h ave to wa lk i n wa ter, wa lk wh ere t he wa ter is n ot mo vin g. Us e a s tic k to check t he fir mn ess o f the g round in fr ont of you.

Do not drive floodwaters rise the car and move do so safely.

into flooded areas. If around your car, abandon to higher ground if you can

You a nd the v ehic le can be quic kly swe pt a wa y.

Watch out for animals and reptiles especially poisonous snakes, that may come to your house with flood water.

Drivin g F lo od F acts The fo ll owing are i mporta nt points to reme mb er wh en driv ing in fl ood conditio ns: Six in ches o f wa ter will re ach th e bott om o f mo st p assenger c ars causing lo ss of c ontrol a nd poss ib le st all in g.

A foot of water will float many vehicles. Two fe et of r ushin g wa ter c an c arr y away m ost v ehic les in clu din g s port utility v ehic les and p ic k-u ps.

Aft er a F lo od The fo ll owing are g uid eli nes fo r th e perio d fo ll owing a flo od: Listen for news reports to learn whether the community’s water supply is safe to drink. Avoid floodwaters; water may contaminated by oil or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.

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Be awa re of are as wh ere fl oodwa ters have re ceded. Roads ma y have we akened and could colla pse under the we ig ht of a c ar. Sta y awa y fr om down ed powe r lin es, and report them to the power comp any. Return h ome only wh en auth oritie s in dic ate i t i s s afe .

Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters. Use extreme caution when entering buildings; there may be hidden damage, particularly in foundations. Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits, and leaching systems as soon as possible. Damaged sewage systems are serious health hazards.

Clean and disinfect everything that got wet. Mud left from floodwater can contain sewage and chemicals.

Public awareness, Consciousness and education in environmental management will save many lives in future.