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Men Most Likely to Die in Floods

National Weather Service

Of all the information to come out of national flood safety awareness week, the one piece of data that jumped out to KGOU is that men make up nearly two-thirds of flood victims.

TIME magazine reported on this phenomenon in 2008, noting that men are more likely to die in several different types of extreme weather conditions.

Some of the reasons experts say the male of the species is at risk include the number of men working outdoor jobs and the tendency toward greater risk taking behavior.

Other statistics for the week catching our attention include what victims were doing at the time of their deaths from high water. Driving into flooded areas is number one, and generally well known.

In 2012 39 percent of the flood fatalities nationally happened while driving. Pedestrians accounted for 18 percent of the deaths in flooded areas. Three behaviors, fishing, playing and working, each accounted for seven percent of the fatalities.

Credit National Weather Service
Most flood fatalities happen while driving.

Also, if you want to keep updated on flooding and other water conditions across Oklahoma, the National Weather Service has an advanced hydrologic prediction service map that puts lots of information in one place.

Weather officials want residents to understand the importance of staying aware during floods, with guidelines for keeping safe.

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