Flash floods, strong winds: staying safe and preparing for Hurricane Helene

From Local 3 News: After a weeks-long drought, we’ve finally gotten some rainfall as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the coast. But the next two days bring heavy rainfall and strong winds—conditions that can put you at risk if you’re not careful.

Safety is the number one priority. Here’s what you should know to stay safe as we ‘weather’ through the rest of this week:

Amy Maxwell, spokesperson for Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, says the biggest concern is the possibility of flash foods.

The dry weather we’ve been experiencing can cause flash floods to occur. Basically, dry terrain hardens up and is unable to absorb water as quickly as falls.

“The terrain level is very, very dry, so when we get this downpour of rain that’s coming in tomorrow night, a lot of it’s just going to run off.”

People in low-lying areas are more at risk of flash floods since more water builds up in these areas. Some people Maxwell says are more at risk are those around the Middle Valley area and off of Middle Valley Road, in the East Ridge area and off of Hunter and Boy Scout Roads.

In the case of flash flooding, it’s best for people to stay off the roads.

“Please don’t drive through them,” she says. “We want to make sure that everyone is safe, and you don’t want to put yourself at risk, your family at risk, your car at risk, and we sure don’t want to have to get first responders to come and rescue you when they could be needed somewhere where someone has a serious emergency.”

If driving is necessary, the timing is key. Maxwell says it’s important to plan ahead, if possible.

“Know when those storms are going to come through,” she says. “If you can wait until the heavy rain has stopped, then proceed on the roadways if you have to.”

Maxwell says with flash flooding, it’s a matter of how long the water stays, and if the grounds can absorb it. Even if grounds are able to absorb most of the water, the strong winds we’re expecting could bring other challenges.

For example, the more water the ground absorbs, the more unstable the terrain becomes. This means a greater likelihood of strong winds knocking down trees and power lines.

When preparing for a power outage, Maxwell reminds people to never start a generator inside a home or garage—doing so could be deadly.

“We’ve actually seen it before with several storms in the past when we’ve had several power outages, and we’ve gouda people unresponsive due to carbon monoxide and gas poisoning.”

If you plan to use a generator to power your home, keep it outside and bring the electrical cables inside.