Two counties in Arizona rank in the top 10 for deadliest floods
- Updated
In the U.S., floods cause over $3 billion worth of damage annually.
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
In the U.S., floods cause over $3 billion worth of damage annually. An intense flood has the capability to destroy buildings, drown crops and even cause multiple fatalities. According to FEMA, just two feet of moving water can carry away a vehicle, and many deaths caused by floods occur when people remain in their vehicle during a flood.
WeatherDB, a weather data site by Graphiq, found the 10 U.S. counties that experienced the deadliest floods over the last 20 years (January 1996 to March 2016). Using data from NOAA's Severe Weather Data Inventory, the total number of deaths, injuries, floods and floods that caused a fatality were determined for each county in which a flood occurred. These 10 counties are ranked based on the number of fatalities caused by floods in the last 20 years. If those figures were the same, the order was listed by total number of injuries. If injuries were also equal, the number of floods was the tiebreaker.
Not surprisingly, Eastern states that receive heavy amounts of precipitation, such as New York and Arkansas, also experience dangerous flooding. However, drier states where flash floods occur are at a much greater risk. In fact, some of the driest areas, including San Bernardino, Tucson and St. George, Utah, experience the most life-threatening floods. These areas are less equipped to handle a flood as flash floods happen so unexpectedly that people do not have time to react. Regardless, in the event of a flood, leave your vehicle (ideally quicker than this person) and escape to dry ground.
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 15
Total Injuries: 3
Major City: Sidney
Number of Floods: 91
Number of Deadly Floods: 5
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 15
Total Injuries: 52
Major City: San Bernardino
Number of Floods: 555
Number of Deadly Floods: 12
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 16
Total Injuries: 6
Major City: Tucson
Number of Floods: 362
Number of Deadly Floods: 13
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 16
Total Injuries: 138
Major City: Oklahoma City
Number of Floods: 98
Number of Deadly Floods: 6
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 19
Total Injuries: 12
Major City: Flagstaff
Number of Floods: 162
Number of Deadly Floods: 5
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 20
Total Injuries: 27
Major City: Mount Ida
Number of Floods: 36
Number of Deadly Floods: 1
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 20
Total Injuries: 171
Major City: Austin
Number of Floods: 185
Number of Deadly Floods: 15
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 25
Total Injuries: 3
Major City: Houston
Number of Floods: 129
Number of Deadly Floods: 11
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 26
Total Injuries: 25
Major City: St. George
Number of Floods: 178
Number of Deadly Floods: 7
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
- Updated
Total Deaths: 28
Total Injuries: 852
Major City: San Antonio
Number of Floods: 257
Number of Deadly Floods: 13
More like this...
- Tessa Boyce, WeatherDB.com
In the U.S., floods cause over $3 billion worth of damage annually. An intense flood has the capability to destroy buildings, drown crops and even cause multiple fatalities. According to FEMA, just two feet of moving water can carry away a vehicle, and many deaths caused by floods occur when people remain in their vehicle during a flood.
WeatherDB, a weather data site by Graphiq, found the 10 U.S. counties that experienced the deadliest floods over the last 20 years (January 1996 to March 2016). Using data from NOAA's Severe Weather Data Inventory, the total number of deaths, injuries, floods and floods that caused a fatality were determined for each county in which a flood occurred. These 10 counties are ranked based on the number of fatalities caused by floods in the last 20 years. If those figures were the same, the order was listed by total number of injuries. If injuries were also equal, the number of floods was the tiebreaker.
Not surprisingly, Eastern states that receive heavy amounts of precipitation, such as New York and Arkansas, also experience dangerous flooding. However, drier states where flash floods occur are at a much greater risk. In fact, some of the driest areas, including San Bernardino, Tucson and St. George, Utah, experience the most life-threatening floods. These areas are less equipped to handle a flood as flash floods happen so unexpectedly that people do not have time to react. Regardless, in the event of a flood, leave your vehicle (ideally quicker than this person) and escape to dry ground.
More like this...
Most Popular
-
Mom in Tucson abuse case dies by suicide
-
Chiricahua poised to become Arizona’s fourth national park
-
Return to the Stronghold: Oklahoma Apache tribe buys back some ancestral land in Arizona
-
Feds don't renew water station permits for Tucson-based Humane Borders
-
Eegee’s pulls the plug on 2 Tucson-area restaurants; Angie’s coming soon
