As part of the Swift Water Rescue Team for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Virginia, I have been involved in swift water responses for the past decade. Over the course of these responses, I have learned much about the power of water and the damage that floods can create. Floods, caused by nature or man-made, can occur at any time and can affect anyone. Being prepared and heeding warnings and public safety announcements may be the only way to ensure your safety.  Let me discuss a few of the situations I’ve seen as a rescuer and how they tie back to some of the common phrases we hear about flood safety:

“Be Prepared”

Being prepared for a flood, especially in times of increased risk is paramount to remaining safe and secure when the flood occurs. Flood safety plans should include identifying areas of risk around your home and neighborhood, knowing evacuation routes and staying clear of streams, drainage channels and areas that are prone to flash flooding. Be ready, heed the warnings of the National Weather Service and seek out higher ground. If you become trapped in high water and cannot escape, contact 9-1-1 and follow the directions of the public safety officials.

One of the incidents I discuss when I teach water rescue is one in which the gentleman that we rescued was not prepared for the flood, nor did he follow the directions of his rescuers. At shift change on a particularly raining morning, my crew was discussing and preparing for what we eventually knew would come. The tones went off for a car in a flooded roadway and we were on the road. We arrived on the scene to find a gentlemen sitting on top of his car, with water up to the bottom of the windows. We prepared to evacuate him, and when we got to the side of the car, the gentlemen would not leave the car. He was not panicked, or distraught, but had been told by the dispatcher to seek higher ground and the top of the car was as high as he could find! We were there to rescue him and take him to safety, but he was going to listen to the dispatcher. After a lot of discussion and coaxing, we were finally able to ensure the gentleman that the safest place was the higher ground out of the water and not the higher ground of his vehicle.

CAPTION: Fairfax, Va., Aug. 12, 2010 -- This swift water rescue team helps people stranded in a vehicle due to flooding.

“Turn Around, Don’t Drown”

Since 2001 when NOAA’s National Weather Service first produced the “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” public information campaign the number of people that have heard the warning cannot be counted. This however, does not mean that the campaign is complete. On nearly all of the swift water rescues that I have run, those that we set out to rescue have not heeded the warning and made the conscious decision to enter the flood waters. When a vehicle is driven into the water, the occupants typically do not realize the peril that they have placed themselves in. People can be swept off their feet in as little as 6 inches of water --most cars float at 12 inches. It only takes minutes in the right conditions for a meandering stream to become a torrent that can sweep vehicles away.

CAPTION: Fairfax, Va., June 1, 2012 -- Cars attempt to drive through these flooded streets. It is important to remember, turn around, don't drown.

One of my most memorable swift water rescues occurred at a location that floods often and is familiar to many because of this. The incident was at the height of a long rain storm that had flooded many locations throughout the county. We had been at the intersection earlier in the storm and had evacuated a couple from their car before it was lifted and taken into the woods. The evacuation occurred quickly and was uneventful. After the incident, the police closed the road with cones, banner tape, and a police cruiser was standing by until a more significant barricade could be put in-place. A couple of hours had gone by since the first evacuation, when we were called back to the location for another vehicle stranded in the water. As we responded, we were all trying to determine if we were going back to check the car that we had evacuated earlier or if this was a new rescue. We arrived on the scene, saw a new car in the water and questioned the police officer as to what had happened. His response was that the car had driven around the cruiser, over the cones, stopped at the water’s edge, and then proceeded to try to cross the water. After evacuating the woman from the car, her response to why she did it was that “the water didn’t look that deep.” Little did she realize that her actions tied up numerous emergency response units, and put our lives in jeopardy as we evacuated her from the water that she should never have driven into.

CAPTION: Tuscan, Ariz., July 23, 2007 -- A woman waits to be rescued by Tucson Fire Department firefighters from the roof of her car that was swept down the Rodeo Wash just south of East Irvington Road and west of South Park Avenue Monday July 23, 2007. Heavy rains hit Tucson in the early afternoon flooding washes and downing power lines across the city.

“Floods can occur anywhere, at any time”

All floods, including flash floods can occur anywhere, at any time. Although it has been related that “anywhere it rains, it can flood,” this does not accurately characterize the flood threat. Floods can be caused by a number of reasons, and not just precipitation. Snow can melt, and mechanical devices such as dams and pipes can break. When this happens, the potential for floods becomes a reality.

The weather on December 23, 2008 was frigidly cold and clear. Another day at the firehouse, my crew was thinking more of building fires due to space heaters, than water rescues. With no precipitation in the forecast there wouldn’t be a flood, and no one would dare go near the river in this cold. But, as has been proven time and again, floods can occur anywhere, any time. My rescue squad was dispatched to assist a neighboring county with a swift water rescue. The cause was a burst water pipe that at the height of the break was spewing 135 million gallons per minute down River Road. The torrent trapped a number of motorists and multiple rescues occurred through the quick actions of the numerous first responders on the scene. By the time the water was turned off and the incident stabilized all those trapped were rescued and we were once again reminded of the power of moving water.

I urge you to learn from my experience.  The three phrases we commonly hear about flooding - “be prepared”, “turn around, don’t drown”, and “floods can occur anywhere, at any time” – they all have valuable meaning behind them that can save lives.  Take the opportunity this week to learn about staying safe from flooding. 

Editor’s Note: The views expressed by Scott E. Schermerhorn do not necessarily represent the official views of the United States, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA does not endorse any non-government organizations, entities, or services.

With just a flicker of a match, a cigarette butt, or a lightning strike in the high country, fire takes its toll fast and with no regard for those in its path.

These statistics, from last year alone, show how wildfires have a significant impact across the country:

• 11 firefighters lost their lives
• 67,774 wildfires burned 9.3 million acres -  that’s the second highest amount of acres burned over the last 10 years
• 4,244 structures were destroyed, including 2,216 residences - well above the “average” year

As weather becomes more extreme across the nation, so does the threat of fire.

Fire seasons are becoming longer and fires are growing larger. Weather is the lifeblood of wildland fires. A wind driven fire in dry conditions won’t respect roads, fences, or blocks of homes; it will consume anything combustible that lies in its path. The start and spread of fires is created by the fire triangle—the right combination of fuel, weather, and topography. Give it an ignition source and this combination can be deadly and the results catastrophic.

CAPTION: San Diego, Calif., October 25, 2007 -- Helicopters drop water and retardant on the Harris fire, near the Mexican border, to stop the wildfire from advancing.  Andrea Booher/FEMA

Fire seasons are forecasted based on general weather patterns, moisture in the vegetation and known topography but the threat can change from moderate to extreme in a couple of days.  It can be a year round problem, depending on the location, vegetation and weather.  Fires can’t always be predicted or forecasted like an approaching hurricane; rather, they can be like a tornado, tsunami or flash flood, leaving those in its path with at times just minutes to make life or death decisions.

And believe it or not, fires can also create their own weather.  During extreme fires, thousands of embers can be fanned miles in front of the main fire, starting new fires that further push the forward spread while also adding to the fire’s intensity.  It only takes one ember caught in dry nook to start your home on fire which can lead to more home ignitions and a fast-moving fire.  If you are trapped between these embers and the main fire, it can be a race to the safety zone or to take escape routes to get out. 

CAPTION: Malibu, Calif., October 23, 1996 -- A California Department of Forestry official watches a wildfire as it burns up a hillside. FEMA News Photo

This year’s threat of wildfires

The omens for this year’s fire season point to another year of drought and flame in the Southwest, Central Plains, and Rocky Mountains. From the high amount of fire activity in the past several years alone, it is clear wildfire is almost a nationwide threat.   The season begins in Hawaii with continued drought and in Florida, where the Florida Forest Service is predicting a near-normal fire season after a see-saw pattern of warm and cool, wet and dry weather - unless “an unforeseen wet or dry spell emerge.”

In the Southwest, numerous Red Flag Warnings for incendiary conditions were issued as early as February, in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. The National Weather Service publishes Red Flag Warnings when there are dangerously low levels of humidity, high winds, and dry or drought conditions. A long-term drought continues to extend from the southern Dakotas down through the central plains to the Southwestern states, which were hit hard by fire last year.

This year, the Front Range in Colorado, where the North Fork Fire burned last year, is again a national hotspot. Snowpack in the Front Range basins this year are only ninety percent of last year, according to Chris Cuoco, a senior forecaster for the National Weather Service based in Grand Junction, CO.

The height of the “fire season” in California occurs in September and October, after the chaparral has experienced months of drying and the Santa Ana winds begin. Last year, northern California had many large fires but southern California was spared a bad season, because the Santa Ana winds did not develop in the fall. This year, moderate to severe drought conditions exist in much of southern California and in portions of northern California.  Even with predictive models for fire threat progression through the United States, a catastrophic fire can still occur in other areas at different times of the year.

CAPTION: West Glenwood, Colo., June 11, 2002 – Smoke rolls up from a fire in the South Canyon. Photo by Andrea Booher/FEMA News Photo

While we can monitor areas with greater fire threat due to drought, the buildup of fuel, and moistures in the different vegetation (trees, shrubs and grasses), it is important to remember that weather is a key ingredient to wildfires.  So if you live in an area prone to fires, remember:

• Stay alert of local conditions – follow the weather conditions in your community and pay special attention to indicators like low humidity, drought, and high winds, three things that contribute to the risk of fire.
• Listen to direction of local officials – if the local officials in your area mention a heightened threat of wildfire; listen and take action. 
• Have a plan in case a wildfire should threaten your home or business – simple things like creating defensible space around your home and making sure you have an evacuation plan can save your home and your life.

We hope everyone stays safe during the fire season this year.  Remember, weather is a key ingredient to fires, but the individuals, families and communities that prepare are better able to survive and recover from fires.  Visit Ready.gov/wildfires for information on staying safe before, during, and after wildfires.

About the authors

Justin Dombrowski, Response Director, FEMA Region IX was a former firefighter who traveled around the country managing wildfires and saw firsthand the loss to homes, property and lives including to firefighters. He wants to ensure people know what to do when a fire strikes and do what they can to reduce the threat at home, in their neighborhood, and for the responders.

John N. Maclean, author and journalist, has written four books and numerous articles about wildland fire over the past two decades. He is a FEMA reservist and a member of the Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Department.