Natural disasters can sometimes cause a domino effect of other disasters: an earthquake can cause a long-term power outage, a drought can cause a wildfire, and the high-speed winds of a tornado can quickly turn into a raging flood.
Many in the Southeast are learning that one storm can cause another as the tornadoes that sprawled across over a dozen states this week have not only left behind twisted cars and destroyed homes, but also brought on severe floods.
Florida was one of hardest-hit states, where Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency after 20 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, killing at least one and leaving others stranded, according to
Fox News
“There’s a lot of water on the ground,” the governor said to
Yahoo News. He also anticipates that more flash flooding is still a real threat.
In some areas, flooding reached up to four feet, other locations flooded more. Across numerous states, floods trapped people in homes, vehicles, and other buildings. Yahoo News reports one elderly woman dying in Escambia County after being unable to escape as the high waters surrounded her vehicle.
"We were rescuing people out of cars, out of ditches, out of homes," said Mitchell Sims, the emergency management director for Baldwin County. "We are still getting reports of people trapped."
When preparing for an emergency, it’s common to overlook the fact that one disaster can trigger another. It’s important to prepare as well as you can for all types of disasters. Are you prepared for a tornado
and a lightning storm? Do you have duct tape for your windows for a hurricane
and sandbags for flooding? As you stock your supply, are you thinking of how to prepare for multiple disasters?
As you work on your preparedness, check out the following Insight Articles for some helpful tips for staying safe in a variety of disasters:
Have you ever been caught in a “secondary” disaster triggered by a first? What happened? Share your story and expertise in the comments
--Kim
Sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2014/04/30/forecasters-downplay-tornado-predictions-as-storm-system-weakens-in-south/
http://news.yahoo.com/u-tornadoes-kill-34-threaten-more-damage-south-043914845--sector.html
Photo Courtesy of Fox News
