Homes Wiped Away in Texas and Oklahoma

Floods keep causing widespread destruction in Texas. Hundreds of homes have been washed away in Texas and Oklahoma by the record-breaking rains.

Watch out for Flash Floods
Because of the intense rains, rivers are suddenly seeing an increase in discharge, with very strong, dangerous currents. Here’s some advice to keep in mind:
*If the stream or river turns brown or is showing signs of broken vegetation or other debris, move away as quickly as possible.
*Current can be deceivingly strong. Don’t risk it. Most people that drown during floods, at some point underestimated the strength and danger of the current. Just six inches can knock you over and drag you into deeper, faster moving waters.
*Just two feet of fast moving water is enough to move and carry away a vehicle, including SUVs and pickups. It’s one thing to ford a river, it’s another to risk getting caught by a flash flood. Turn around, don’t drown!

*About half of flash flood fatalities are vehicle-related. Don’t park your vehicle close to rivers or large bodies of water and don’t try to cross flooded roads. If your vehicle stalls, get out and get to high ground immediately. Don’t wait until the car is dragged away.
*Get yourself a NOAA Weather Radio and listen to the weather updates. Stay home and just don’t risk it. Its not just floods, but also large hail and tornados that can be extremely dangerous.
*Put together your survival kit, which should include LED flashlights and lanterns, batteries, radio, food ready to eat or easy to cook, a camping stove, disposable plates, cups and cutlery, blankets, bottled water, medicines and first aid kit.
*Have a Bug Out Plan laid out. In this case, it should include a route along high ground and away from flood hazard areas. If you need to evacuate, do so before it’s too late.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.