MEMA: Inland flooding more deadly than hurricane tidal surge

Property insurance companies and television news crews tend to focus on tidal surges whenever a hurricane comes ashore, but more people die from inland flooding than ocean waves.”While storm surge is always a potential coastal threat associated with hurricanes, more people died from inland flooding over the past 30-plus years,” said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).The statistics should come as welcome relief for North Shore residents, where storm surges are often a harsh reality in the more low-lying communities. Property damage may be extensive during these weather events, but associated deaths are few.Since the early 1970s, freshwater flooding has accounted for 59 percent, or nearly six of every 10 U.S. tropical cyclone deaths.Although weakened to a tropical storm prior to its arrival in Massachusetts in 1999, most of Hurricane Floyd’s impact was rain and flood related, causing severe damage as far west as the Berkshires. “In fact, some of our most devastating flooding associated with these historic storms has occurred in Central and Western Massachusetts, as up to 17 inches fell in association with the Hurricane of 1938 and 25 inches of rain fell over a 5-day period in August 1955 from Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane, which reached Massachusetts as tropical storms.”During that period, the city of Westfield received 13.1 inches of rain in a single day,” said Judge, adding that intense rainfall is not directly related to the wind speed of tropical cyclones. “Some of the greatest rainfall amounts occur from weaker storms that drift slowly or stall over an area. A tropical storm can produce more rainfall than a Category 5 hurricane.”However, since all hurricanes weaken to tropical storms and move inland, the threat of torrential rains and high winds over large areas intensify the risks of flooding.The sometimes forgotten threat associated with hurricanes, particularly in our inland communities is flooding,” said MEMA Director Donald Boyce. “The west side of the eye of a hurricane, as it moves northward along the Atlantic coast, is the ‘wet side’, as the storm’s counterclockwise winds draw moisture from the ocean, potentially depositing torrential rains far inland.”Boyce recommended several precautions for those living in flood-prone regions. Among them: Assemble a family disaster kit; develop a family communication plan; educate yourself about the local emergency management plan, including potential evacuation routes and the location of public shelters; and learn about the local vulnerability to flooding.In highly flood-prone areas, homeowners should keep on hand materials such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, plastic trash bags, lumber, shovels, work boots and gloves. Attention should be paid to nearby streams, drainage channels and other flood zones to ensure evacuation routes are not cut off.”As a storm approaches, continually monitor the event on local media and if advised to evacuate, do so immediately,” said Judge.If evacuation becomes necessary, avoid driving into water of unknown depth, since as little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Avoid downed power lines and always assume that a downed wire is a live wire, he said.MEMA advises homeowners to obtain flood insurance because flood damage is not typically covered by standard homeowners’ insurance.”Do not make assumptions. Check your policy,” he said, noting that the National Flood Insurance Program is a pre-disaster flood mitigation and insurance protection program. The program makes federally-backed flood insurance available to residents and business owners.For additional information about MEMA and Hurricane Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema.