Open AccessVehicle‐related flood deaths in the U nited S tates, 1995–2005
Author(s) -
Kellar D.M.M.,
Schmidlin T.W.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of flood risk management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.049
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 1753-318X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-318x.2012.01136.x
Subject(s) - flash flood , flooding (psychology) , demography , flood myth , geography , psychology , archaeology , sociology , psychotherapist
Vehicle‐related deaths comprise more than half of all flash flood fatalities in the U nited S tates. Using the publication S torm D ata from the U nited S tates N ational C limatic D ata C enter, we found 555 vehicle‐related flood deaths that occurred in 355 flooding events during 1995–2005. Males accounted for 60% of the deaths. The difference in death rates between the sexes was small at ages 19 and younger but males died at twice the rate of females for ages 40 and older. Elevated deaths rates were found for both males and females under age 5 and over 60. Flooding events classified as flash floods accounted for most of the fatalities. Vehicle‐related flood deaths were concentrated in the T exas H ill C ountry, the desert S outhwest, the O hio R iver V alley, and eastern N orth C arolina.