Sitting on Texas’s Colorado River, residents of Austin can face floods at almost any time of the year. During winter and spring, rainstorms in Austin or anywhere along the Colorado River’s drainage basin can cause flash floods in the city. In the summer and fall, tropical storms and hurricanes from the Gulf Coast can produce high winds and flooding in central Texas.
Flooding in Austin can cause injuries directly or indirectly. Floods can sweep away victims, causing drowning injuries and deaths. They also increase the risk of accidents, including car accidents, electrocutions, and falls, as locals try to escape or navigate around flooded areas. Learn some guidelines for protecting your safety during floods.
1. Prepare For Floods In Austin
Experts often identify disaster preparedness as the best way to protect yourself during a flood. Build an emergency kit that you can use during any natural or manmade disaster. This kit should include first-aid supplies, medications, a flashlight, non-perishable food, and water. Also, consider including a power pack to charge your phone if you lose electrical service.
Put your emergency kit somewhere you can access it. Consider keeping it in a waterproof container that will protect its contents during a flood.
In addition to building an emergency kit, create an emergency plan. Know how to reach your loved ones during a disaster. Identify a meeting location if you cannot reach your home.
2. Turn Off Your Utilities If Your Austin Home Floods
Know how to turn off your utilities if your home floods. Electricity, in particular, can pose a safety risk if your home floods. However, flash floods can also damage natural gas pipes and water lines.
Depending on the amount of warning you have, consider temporarily closing your business. You may be safer at home where you have emergency supplies.
3. Stay Off The Roads
Try to stay off the roads unless you are instructed to evacuate. Roads in Austin can become rivers during flash floods. Just a few inches of water can stall your engine, and 12 inches could float smaller vehicles.
Additionally, emergency responders need roads to reach people trapped or injured. Staying off the roads allows paramedics, ambulance drivers, and police officers to do their jobs.
Moreover, you risk becoming a victim when you venture out of your home. You might add to the burden carried by emergency responders by leaving your home during a flood. For example, if you go to the grocery store for bottled water while the flood is in progress, you could be injured in traffic crashes, slip-and-fall accidents, or other flood-related incidents.
4. Listen For Official Instructions
Watch and listen for official instructions on TV, radio, and your cell phone. Emergency managers will provide instructions as the conditions evolve. In many situations, these instructions will be common sense. For example, they may inform boaters to get off rivers and lakes. Traffic officials may inform you which roads are impassable.
These instructions may advise you to shelter in place or evacuate, depending on the circumstances. Follow guidance from local authorities and emergency personnel, who may have access to current information about road closures, flood conditions, and other hazards.
If the government orders a mandatory evacuation, you should follow the order and leave the affected area. Following these instructions can save you and your family.
Call McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers To Arrange A Free Consultation With An Austin Personal Injury Lawyer
Even when flood risks appear low, conditions can change without warning. Taking precautions before severe weather arrives can help protect you and your loved ones during flooding.
If you are injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence during or after a flood, you may have legal options. Contact McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with an Austin personal injury lawyer.
We proudly serve clients throughout Austin, TX in Travis County, as well as Salt Lake City, UT in Salt Lake County.
McMinn Law Firm – Austin, TX Office
502 W 14th St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-0222
McMinn Law Firm – Salt Lake City, UT Office
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