Flood Safety Tips
May 8, 2023
Perhaps the biggest cause of flood-related deaths and injuries is lack of public understanding of the severity and danger involved with floods and flash floods. The following tips can help protect you during flood events.
Fast Facts About Flood Events
- Many people are killed by driving or walking on roads and bridges that are covered by water. Even though the water might look only inches deep, it could be much deeper and with have strong currents. It only takes two feet of water to carry away a car and six inches of swiftly moving water will sweep a person off his feet.
- Flooded creeks and streams are unpredictable. Even though the surface water may be smooth the water is moving very fast.
- High water in streets and intersections will quickly stall motor vehicles. Most trucks, four-wheel drives, and sport utility vehicles also are susceptible to being swept away by high water. Such vehicles often give motorists a false sense of security, believing the vehicles are safe under any conditions.
- If you are approaching a flooded roadway, turn around and take an alternate route, even though vehicles in front of you may have passed through the high water.
- If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground. Many deaths have resulted from attempts to move stalled vehicles.
- Never let children play near creeks or storm drains when the water is rising or high. Swimming skills have nothing to do with surviving a flooded creek or stream.
- Debris or garbage in the water may include tires, shopping carts, furniture etc. These items can easily injure or trap a person under water.
- Flooded streams and rivers are not safe for recreational boating. Many canoeists and kayakers have been rescued from dangerous rapids in flood-swollen streams and rivers.
What to do if someone falls in or is trapped in flood water
- Do not go after the victim!
- If possible, throw them victim something to use as a flotation device (spare tire, large ball or foam ice chest).
- Call 911 with correct location information on this water rescue situation.
- Never set up a tent or camper on the bank of a river or stream. It is best to allow some distance between the campsite and water so if a flash flood does occur, you will have more time to move to higher ground.
- If you live in a low-lying area or near a creek, pay close attention to water levels during heavy rain events. Water levels rise rapidly during flash floods, often surprising victims. Heavy rainfall upstream can cause a river or stream to rise quickly, even if it is not raining near you. Be prepared to move quickly to higher round if water levels begin rising. Quickly responding to an evacuation order can save your life.
- If advised to evacuate, do so immediately. Follow recommended evacuation routes. Shortcuts may be blocked.
EMS ESD Project Update
January 26, 2023
Huge steps forward on this project! The City of Austin unanimously approved moving this project forward to the voters! A HUGE Thank You to City of Austin Councilwoman Mackenzie Kelly for all her on-going help with getting this project to the ballot!
Also, in this month’s ESD meeting (Wed. 1/18), Williamson County Precinct #1 Commissioner, Terry Cook, also came out in support of placing this project on the ballot. Another HUGE Thank You to Commissioner Cook for all of her help and guidance with this project!
Community Holiday Parade 12/11 2:30p
November 29, 2022
We invite our community to join us in celebrating the holidays with our Winter Parade, featuring Santa!
This parade will include all public safety organizations (Fire, EMS, Sheriff’s, Constables, DPS, etc.), community groups (car clubs, civic groups, etc.), neighborhood associations, school groups and anyone else who wants to be part of the celebration. And this year, our parade leads right up to the RCNA’s Winter Holiday in Rattan Creek Park event. So you can stay there after the parade, shop for gifts from local crafts people and vendors, and take a free photo with Santa.
There are two ways for our community to participate – decorate your vehicle and drive with us in the parade, or line the route in your neighborhood and cheer us on! We love to see all those smiling faces as we drive by. And we’d love to see all of the winter holidays represented in the parade, so we encourage you to share whatever traditions your family celebrates.
And now that the midterm elections have passed, lets please leave politics at home.
The route: the parade will start at Forest North Elementary School parking lot, with the route moving south down Broadmeade to Anderson Mill, Anderson Mill to Amasia, Amasia to Tamayo, Tamayo to Elkhorn Mountain and end at the Rattan Creek Park for the Winter Festival. This route will include a good majority of the community and allow for a lot of prime spectator viewpoints! Rules for driving in the parade can be found below in the comments.
The parade is scheduled for Sunday, December 11th at 2:30p. Folks planning on participating in the parade are to assemble in the parking lot at Forest North Elementary School at 2:00pm. The parade will begin promptly at 2:30, rain or shine. It will conclude at Rattan Creek Park about 3pm. Hope to see you all there!
Happy Holidays!
Petition Block Walk
November 22, 2022
Starting this weekend, our association members will be walking the neighborhood, asking for signatures to create a new Emergency Services District to provide advanced emergency medical care to our community. The petition would allow us to place this initiative on the upcoming ballot in May, where, hopefully it will pass with flying colors! Per state statute, the petition requires a signer to be the homeowner and must be a registered voter so please don’t think we’re being rude if we can’t use your info!
This new district would provide funds for the annual training and certification, equipment and supplies required to provide these advanced medical interventions. These interventions will include emergent diabetic, cardiac and respiratory care. On these types of incidents, seconds count and these advanced interventions can mean the difference between life and death. With the on-going opioid epidemic, these advanced interventions are being required at a significantly increasing rate.
This district will also assist in covering the massive increase in cost of medical supplies. Since COVID, these non-reusable medical supplies and equipment have tripled in price and show no signs of reducing. Also, due to the opioid crises, supplies that may have been used once a quarter are now being used almost weekly…
The plan is for the initial tax to be set at one cent, which, with an average home in this area selling for $450,000, would cost the homeowner $45 a year. And, if additional medical services were discussed in the future, there would be possible funds available to provide them.
Our organization is hoping for your support to increase our abilities to provide the best emergency services to you and everyone in the community that we are honored to protect!