Last week, I was in a restaurant talking with some people
who had recently moved to New York's capital
region from Missouri.
Their reason for moving here was that their apartment had been flooded. The
discussion soon turned to the fact that many people in the East might not
realize that flooding occurs in the West. In reality however, the past couple
of months have seen extreme flooding in the Midwestern United States that
killed at least twelve people.
Are there gender differences in how people respond to flooding?
Nine of the twelve people killed were men, which turns out to be a typical
ratio for storms. The University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health has
conducted a survey of U.S thunderstorm deaths from 1994 to 2000. Their results
show that men are more than twice as likely to die in storm-related deaths as
women. The study looked at 1,442 deaths, where 70% were men.
During a storm, most deaths occur during flash floods or
lightening strikes. According to Time magazine, men are more likely to
work outside and take more dangerous risks.
The human brain is not very good as estimating depth of
water and strength of its current. The brain has an even harder time
calculating the risk of normal operations, such as driving a vehicle. According
to the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 6 inches (15
cm) of water is enough to reach the bottom of your car and cause stalling or
damage. Additionally, a foot of water is enough to float a car, and two feet
can carry away cars, trucks, and SUVs. Driving and walking are also dangerous
as flash flooding could occur anytime. Eight of the twelve reported deaths
occurred while the person was attempting to drive – only two of these deaths
were women.
Today's weather is increasingly unpredictable. Floods are
common in many places, and becoming more so in others. Survival doesn't have to
be all about luck. Taking precautions in the event of a flood is crucial. Here
a few tips from the Web:
- Always try to keep to higher ground.
- Don't try to drive. (See explanation above!)
- If you have to walk, try to walk where the current is not
moving. Even in shallow water currents can be dangerous and cause you to fall.
- Don't fight the current. If you have to swim, do it on
your back with your feet forward and up to keep from hitting debris or getting
pulled down by the current.
Be careful out there!
Resources:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1817603,00.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/19/national/main3949238.shtml
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