Flash floods like the one that swept through Texas are the nation’s top storm-related killer

The monstrous swift-moving flood that swept through the Hill Country of Texas on Friday killing at least people and leaving a large number of more missing was a flash flood the nation s top storm-related killer Among those missing are girls attending a summer camp Bureaucrats disclosed about people had been rescued including various by helicopter Here are specific facts about flash floods Flash floods form rapidly According to the National Weather Utility a flash flood is flooding that begins within six hours and often in as little as three hours of heavy rainfall Waters rise so hastily that people are caught off guard according to the weather amenity A multitude of people run into trouble while traveling If at home or work the water can rise so speedily that people are trapped before they have time to think about escape That is just what happened to residents along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County and the surrounding area after at least inches centimeters poured from the sky early Friday morning Fast-moving waters along the river rose feet meters in just minutes before dawn Friday washing away homes and vehicles The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday and flash flood warnings and flood watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas There was various advance notice in Texas On Thursday afternoon the National Weather Utility issued a flood watch estimating rising water of up to inches centimeters in spots A watch means conditions are favorable for a flood and people should be prepared but hazardous conditions might not develop But the watch was upgraded to a flood warning overnight a notice that impacted people A warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring the weather institution says Lt Gov Dan Patrick commented the feasible for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area and everything was done to give them a heads-up that you could have heavy rain However when sought about how people were notified in Kerr County so that they could get to safety Judge Rob Kelly the county s chief elected official stated We do not have a warning system When reporters pushed on why more precautions weren t taken Kelly responded Rest assured no one knew this kind of flood was coming Flash floods can be deadly Last year people died in flash floods according to the weather facility On average over the past years floods have claimed lives annually Floods trap people in vehicles Nearly half of all flood-related fatalities involve vehicles Flood deaths affect all age groups Numerous people don t realize that a car becomes hard to control in just inches centimeters of water and can be swept away in as little as inches centimeters So instead of finding a detour too often people try to drive through water at underpasses or other low-lying areas Flash floods can happen anywhere It can happen anywhere according to the weather function which says that the normally tranquil streams and creeks in your neighborhood can become raging torrents if heavy rain falls overhead An area can be flooded even without rain if it s downstream of a torrential rainstorm and a swollen stream heads its way Hurricanes tropical storms non-cyclonic weather systems carrying heavy rain and dam failures are selected weather events that can cause flash flooding They can happen in rural areas or in large cities Associated Press writer Adrian Sainz contributed Source