High concern for flash flooding this weekend

Flooding is the number one weather related killer each year in the US and across the world, not only in loss of life, but in property. Since 1978, Missouri ranks eleventh in the amount of flood insurance loss due to numerous devastating floods.

Each year 200 Americans are killed by flood waters and a lot of that can be attributed to flooded roadways, creeks, or rivers.

The reason why this is a big problem for us this week is due to the sheer about of rain forecast for Mid-Missouri. Ahead of the potential for 3-6+ inches of rainfall, flash flood watches are already in affect for parts of the region.

As we head into the weekend, there are some things that you need to know in case you come across flooded areas:

– Turn around don’t drown, when you approach flooded roadways.

– It only takes 6 inches of moving water to sweep a person of their feet.

– It only takes 2 feet of moving water to sweep a vehicle downstream.

– Have a plan in place in case you come across flooded areas.

To put things in perspective, water moves at an average speed of 4-5 mph. At 6 mph, the force exerted from the moving water is equivalent to that of an EF-5 tornado. At 25 mph, the force is equivalent to the pressure of 790 mph, which is faster than the speed of sound.

Stay tuned to ABC 17 News as we continue to monitor the potential for flooding this weekend.