Did you know that St. Louis just broke its’ century-old rain record with the onset of recent flash floods? This came as a shock when water from the River Des Peres was, as the city’s fire chief said, “bone dry.” The rain hit hard drenching parts of St. Louis and other Missouri towns with up to a foot of rain. What once were streets and roads turned into roaring rivers that collapsed roofs and homes while forcing residents to flee.
Many cars on the streets were door-deep, with others being roof-deep, especially in low-lying areas. With the onslaught of extreme weather disasters throughout the world, these flash floods in Missouri are one of the latest additions to our changing environment and climate.
Things like wildfires, heat waves, crippling droughts, flash floods, and record-cold water up in the tri-lakes area have been a rising factor as our climate warms up. Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri had been monitoring the rainfall and he and the lieutenant governor declared a state of emergency last Tuesday so that the state could coordinate with local officials and provide assistance.
Jim Sieveking, a meteorologist, described the flash flooding that took place as “catastrophic” with “historic” rainfall. How big was the storm? There were more than nine inches of rain that fell in St. Louis overnight. This surpassed the 7.02 inches that fell over a hundred years ago from the Galveston hurricane.
To put this into perspective, the normal amount of rain for St. Louis is 7.31 inches for the months of July AND August combined.
What to do During a Flash Flood
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Gather emergency supplies.
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Listen to your local radio or television station for updates.
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Fill bathtubs, sinks, gallon jars, or plastic soda bottles so that you will have a supply of clean water.
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Sanitize sinks/tubs first by cleaning them using diluted household laundry bleach. Then rinse and fill with clean water.
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Bring in outdoor possessions (lawn furniture, grills, trash cans) or tie them down securely.
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If you need to evacuate due to an onset of flash floods, turn off all utilities at the main power switch and close the main gas valve.
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Evacuate areas that are subject to flooding: low spots, canyons, washes, etc.
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Make sure your immunization records are handy and stored in a waterproof container.
The Dangers of Flash Flooding
There are several dangers of flooding. Here are some things to consider:
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Sewage and water line damage can happen.
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There could also be electrical system damage.
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You will want to check for gas leaks.
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There will be an increase of fire hazards.
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Check for local wildlife – especially venomous snakes.
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Check your foundation for cracks or other damage.
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You will want to replace any drywall that was exposed to water and sewage in your home and/or office.
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Throw away any and all food that may have been in contact with the flood water.
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If you are on a well, and you experienced a flood, do NOT drink the water. Instead, purchase a UV light purification system and couple it with an RO system.
RO systems and UV light purification systems can remove bacterium from your water supply and maintain it regularly! During a flood, runoff from chemicals, animal waste and other contaminants may collect in your well. This can not only make you and your family sick, but it can prove fatal if left untreated.
What’s convenient is that if you live in Southwest or Central Missouri, Aquasani provides UV light purification and reverse osmosis systems for those living on a well.
If you live in the Ozarks and would like to get a hassle-free quote on a reverse osmosis system for your home and/or see what other kinds of water systems would work for you, give us a call! We will have one of our techs come out. Our phone numbers are (417) 881-4000 for the Springfield/Branson area and Lake of the Ozarks area/Central Missouri (573) 692-4009.
About Aquasani Water Purification Systems & Filter Maintenance
Aquasani is an authorized dealer for Rainsoft, WaterLogic, & JavaSmart. Based in Springfield, Mo., and at Lake of the Ozarks / Osage Beach in Missouri, Aquasani services areas in the Ozarks including Osage Beach, Joplin, Camdenton, Aurora and even Jefferson City. In essence, we service Mid-Missouri, Southwest Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas, and have been servicing these areas since 2004. We provide home water softener systems, drinking water filtration systems, whole-house air purification systems, and problem-solving water filtration systems for homes and offices. We also service other water softeners like Culligan, Sterling, Hydroquad, Pro-Series, and Whirlpool to name a few!
Aside from our purification systems, we also sell all-natural cleaning products and household items which are environmentally friendly and low-cost.
We specialize in both air and water filtration and purification for commercial businesses and residential homes. If that isn’t enough, we provide free trials for our water cooler services. If you would like a free estimate, schedule an appointment with us by calling (417) 881-4000 or (573) 692-4009 if you are in the Lake of the Ozarks area.
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