We all read about the massive flooding in the Midwestern U.S. this past June. At least twelve people were killed. But did you know that, out of the twelve, nine of them were men? Yes, that's right - men made up three-quarters of the fatalities.



I'm Mr. Prepared, with a startling fact - natural disasters seem to have a gender bias! Believe it or not, that ratio of men-to-women fatalities during a storm is pretty typical. So why is it guys get the worst of it?

Well, to tell you the truth, you can't blame Mother Nature. This unbalanced statistic has more to do with men's' behavior, as contrasted to women's, according to Time Magazine. Men are more often working outside than women - which explains why they're more often the victims of flash flooding or lightning strikes.

Pursuant to the information provided by Time Magazine, on June 15, 2008 the news reported a 43-year-old Wisconsin man drove around Road Closed signs and hit a washout. He was pronounced dead at the scene. In Indiana, 2 men died in separate incidents this month after their cars were swept away — and they tried to walk home.

According to research by Thomas Songer at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health regarding U.S. thunderstorm-related deaths from 1994 to 2000 they found that men were more than twice as likely to die than women. Of the 1,442 fatalities, 70% were men.

Of course, that's not really men's fault - that's bad luck and circumstance. There is, however, another "guy factor" where they make their own misfortune - and that's the fact that men take many more chances during a natural disaster than women.

Take floods, for example. Most deaths occur when someone drives or walks through floodwaters, not properly judging the depth of the water or the strength of the current. It turns out the human brain is not really good at judging that sort of thing - unless your prepared with the right education - water covers up all sorts of dips and valleys. And guess which sex is more likely to put the pedal to the metal to zoom through a water-filled gulley? That's right - men!

The good news is you can prepare yourself mentally to handle a flood that results from storms or hurricanes, so your survival won't be at stake. There are a few simple rules to keep in mind so you can keep your head above water, no matter what your gender is!

- If floodwaters are rising around your car, get out and move to higher ground! Let the insurance company worry about paying for your vehicle! (unless you're not sure about how deep that water is - then stay and wait for help!)

- Don't be fooled by floodwater that looks shallow - instead of trying to drive through, turn around while you can!

- If you have to walk through water, find a place where the water isn't moving. Even if it is shallow, if that water is moving fast enough, it'll take you down and for a very unwelcome swim!

- If you do get swept up in a current, then, as a wise philosopher once said, go with the flow. Don't fight it - just float on your back and lead with your feet, so they can knock any debris out of the way before it knocks you out!

Just remember, floods can result from hurricanes too, so all this advice isn't just for you Midwesterners - it's for everyone, and this kind of information is an important part of hurricane preparation. As always, Mr. Prepared also recommends having a 72 Hour Kit, food reserves, a generator and other survival gear on hand, in case an emergency leaves you isolated with all your services cut off!

Until next time. Be Smart! Be Safe! Be Prepared! This is Mr. Prepared, bringing Awareness to Preparedness!

Copyright (c) 2008 Mr. Prepared