Since 1900, floods have taken more than 10,000 lives in the United States alone. Rocky Lopes, Disaster Services representative for the American Red Cross and Project SafeSide spokesperson, explains.
Floods can be very deceptive.
Just 6 inches of rapidly moving flood water can knock a person down. A mere 2 feet of water can float a large vehicle even a bus. Beyond the risk of fatalities, floods devastate homes, towns, and even entire regions. The great Mississippi River Flood of 1993 covered an area 500 miles long and 200 miles wide. More than 50,000 homes were damaged, and 12,000 miles of farmland were washed out.