Flood Awareness Introduction

Courses Flood Awareness Training for Law Enforcement & Non-Rescuers Flood Awareness Introduction

In September of 2014, a slowly moving area of thunderstorms brought heavy rain and flash flooding to the Austin, Texas area. The storms forced multiple water rescues and cut off power to about 7,000 customers. Travis County Sheriff's Deputy Jessica Hollis was checking low water crossings around 2 a.m. when she used her radio to report that she was being swept away by the water.

Minutes after she radioed for help, her patrol car was found swamped by floodwaters.

Divers found her body later that day.

A 7-year veteran of her department, Hollis was a strong swimmer and member of the dive team, but could not compete with the fast-moving water.

At the same time, this was happening a short distance away:

Since 1990, over 54 law enforcement officers have drowned - more than one each year - while on duty. (Officer Down Memorial Page)

This course is intended to improve the life safety of police officers during a flood event by recognizing and reducing the risks associated with your unique role during a flood.

Important!

The first thing a police officer must know about flood water is that its force can be:

Powerful

Predictable

Relentless

So, What is Flooding?

Photo by USACE

Flooding typically occurs when one of the following conditions is present:

When prolonged rain falls over several days
When intense rain falls over a short period of time
When an ice or debris jam causes a river or stream to overflow onto the surrounding area
As a result of the failure of a water control structure, such as a levee or dam
When water due to rain and/or snow-melt accumulates faster than soils can absorb it or rivers can carry it away

Flood versus Road

Watch this quick video of what can happen when a flash flood and a bridge collide.

What Other Problems are Created by Flooding?

FEMA/Andrea Booher

Approximately 75% of all Presidential disaster declarations are associated with flooding.

On average, flooding causes more property damage - $8.3 billion in damages annually - in the United States than any other weather-related event. Flooding is a threat to life and property that can occur in any of the fifty states or U.S. territories at any time of year.

And most importantly, flooding kills an average of 100 people per year with at least one death per year being a law enforcement officer and with more than 50 of those fatalities each year a result of people driving into floodwaters.

This dynamic makes it necessary to provide perimeter security between the higher ground and lethal flood waters.

And this responsibility typically falls to law enforcement.

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