Latest news with #JamesDossGollin
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Breaking down the force of water in the Texas floods
Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest. The force of floodwater is often more powerful and surprising than people imagine. Comfort offers a good lens to consider the terrible force of a flash flood's wall of water because it's downstream of where the river's rain-engorged branches met. The crest was among the highest ever recorded at the spot — flash flooding that appears so fast it can 'warp our brains,' said James Doss-Gollin, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University. The Texas flood smashed through buildings, carried away cars and ripped sturdy trees out by the roots, dropping the debris in twisted piles when the water finally ebbed. It killed more than 100 people, prompted scores of rescues and left dozens of others missing. The deaths were concentrated upriver in Kerr County, an area that includes Camp Mystic, the devastated girls' camp, where the water hit early and with little notice. Water is capable of such destruction because it is heavy and can move fast. Just one cubic foot of water — imagine a box a bit larger than the size of a basketball — weighs about 62 pounds (28 kilograms). When the river rose to its peak at Comfort, 177,000 cubic feet — or 11 million pounds (5 million kilograms) of water — flowed by every second. 'When you have that little lead time ... that means you can't wait until the water level starts to rise,' Doss-Gollin said. 'You need to take proactive measures to get people to safety.' Water as heavy as a jumbo jet A small amount of water — less than many might think — can sweep away people, cars and homes. Six inches (15.2 centimeters) is enough to knock people off their feet. A couple of feet of fast-moving water can take away an SUV or truck, and even less can move cars. 'Suppose you are in a normal car, a normal sedan, and a semitrailer comes and pushes you at the back of the car. That's the kind of force you're talking about,' said Venkataraman Lakshmi, a University of Virginia professor and president of the hydrology section of the American Geophysical Union. And at Comfort, it took just over 15 minutes for so much water to arrive that not only could it float away a large pickup truck, but structures were in danger — water as heavy as a jumbo jet moved by every second. At that point, 'We are past vehicles, homes and things can start being affected,' said Daniel Henz, flood warning program manager at the flood control district of Maricopa County, Arizona, an area that gets dangerous scary flash floods. The water not only pushes objects but floats them, and that can actually be scarier. The feeling of being pushed is felt immediately, letting a person know they are in danger. Upward force may not be felt until it is overwhelming, according to Upmanu Lall, a water expert at Arizona State University and Columbia University. 'The buoyancy happens — it's like a yes, no situation. If the water reaches a certain depth and it has some velocity, you're going to get knocked off (your feet) and floating simultaneously,' he said. The mechanics of a flash flood The landscape created the conditions for what some witnesses described as a fast-moving wall of water. Lots of limestone covered by a thin layer of soil in hilly country meant that when rain fell, it ran quickly downhill with little of it absorbed by the ground, according to S. Jeffress Williams, senior scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey. A flash flood generally starts with an initial lead wave and then builds as rain rushes over the landscape and into the river basin. It may rise quickly, but the water still takes some time to converge. The water crumpled cars into piles, twisted steel and knocked trees down as if they were strands of grass. Images captured the chaos and randomness of the water's violence. And then, not as fast as it rose, but still quickly, the river receded. Five hours after its crest at Comfort, it had already dropped 10 feet (3 meters), revealing its damage in retreat. A couple of days after it started to rise, a person could stand with their head above the river again. 'Everything just can happen, very, very quickly,' Henz said. ___ Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
Breaking down the force of water in the Texas floods
Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest. The force of floodwater is often more powerful and surprising than people imagine. Comfort offers a good lens to consider the terrible force of a flash flood's wall of water because it's downstream of where the river's rain-engorged branches met. The crest was among the highest ever recorded at the spot — flash flooding that appears so fast it can 'warp our brains,' said James Doss-Gollin, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
Breaking down the force of water in the Texas floods
Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest. The force of floodwater is often more powerful and surprising than people imagine. Comfort offers a good lens to consider the terrible force of a flash flood's wall of water because it's downstream of where the river's rain-engorged branches met. The crest was among the highest ever recorded at the spot — flash flooding that appears so fast it can 'warp our brains,' said James Doss-Gollin, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University. The Texas flood smashed through buildings, carried away cars and ripped sturdy trees out by the roots, dropping the debris in twisted piles when the water finally ebbed. It killed more than 100 people, prompted scores of rescues and left dozens of others missing. The deaths were concentrated upriver in Kerr County, an area that includes Camp Mystic, the devastated girls' camp, where the water hit early and with little notice. Water is capable of such destruction because it is heavy and can move fast. Just one cubic foot of water — imagine a box a bit larger than the size of a basketball — weighs about 62 pounds (28 kilograms). When the river rose to its peak at Comfort, 177,000 cubic feet — or 11 million pounds (5 million kilograms) of water — flowed by every second. 'When you have that little lead time ... that means you can't wait until the water level starts to rise,' Doss-Gollin said. 'You need to take proactive measures to get people to safety.' Water as heavy as a jumbo jet A small amount of water — less than many might think — can sweep away people, cars and homes. Six inches (15.2 centimeters) is enough to knock people off their feet. A couple of feet of fast-moving water can take away an SUV or truck, and even less can move cars. 'Suppose you are in a normal car, a normal sedan, and a semitrailer comes and pushes you at the back of the car. That's the kind of force you're talking about,' said Venkataraman Lakshmi, a University of Virginia professor and president of the hydrology section of the American Geophysical Union. And at Comfort, it took just over 15 minutes for so much water to arrive that not only could it float away a large pickup truck, but structures were in danger — water as heavy as a jumbo jet moved by every second. At that point, 'We are past vehicles, homes and things can start being affected,' said Daniel Henz, flood warning program manager at the flood control district of Maricopa County, Arizona, an area that gets dangerous scary flash floods. The water not only pushes objects but floats them, and that can actually be scarier. The feeling of being pushed is felt immediately, letting a person know they are in danger. Upward force may not be felt until it is overwhelming, according to Upmanu Lall, a water expert at Arizona State University and Columbia University. 'The buoyancy happens — it's like a yes, no situation. If the water reaches a certain depth and it has some velocity, you're going to get knocked off (your feet) and floating simultaneously,' he said. The mechanics of a flash flood The landscape created the conditions for what some witnesses described as a fast-moving wall of water. Lots of limestone covered by a thin layer of soil in hilly country meant that when rain fell, it ran quickly downhill with little of it absorbed by the ground, according to S. Jeffress Williams, senior scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey. A flash flood generally starts with an initial lead wave and then builds as rain rushes over the landscape and into the river basin. It may rise quickly, but the water still takes some time to converge. The water crumpled cars into piles, twisted steel and knocked trees down as if they were strands of grass. Images captured the chaos and randomness of the water's violence. And then, not as fast as it rose, but still quickly, the river receded. Five hours after its crest at Comfort, it had already dropped 10 feet (3 meters), revealing its damage in retreat. A couple of days after it started to rise, a person could stand with their head above the river again. 'Everything just can happen, very, very quickly,' Henz said. ___ Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Breaking down the force of water in the Texas floods
Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest. The force of floodwater is often more powerful and surprising than people imagine. Comfort offers a good lens to consider the terrible force of a flash flood's wall of water because it's downstream of where the river's rain-engorged branches met. The crest was among the highest ever recorded at the spot — flash flooding that appears so fast it can 'warp our brains,' said James Doss-Gollin, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University. The Texas flood smashed through buildings, carried away cars and ripped sturdy trees out by the roots, dropping the debris in twisted piles when the water finally ebbed. It killed more than 100 people, prompted scores of rescues and left dozens of others missing. The deaths were concentrated upriver in Kerr County, an area that includes Camp Mystic, the devastated girls' camp, where the water hit early and with little notice. Water is capable of such destruction because it is heavy and can move fast. Just one cubic foot of water — imagine a box a bit larger than the size of a basketball — weighs about 62 pounds (28 kilograms). When the river rose to its peak at Comfort, 177,000 cubic feet — or 11 million pounds (5 million kilograms) of water — flowed by every second. 'When you have that little lead time ... that means you can't wait until the water level starts to rise,' Doss-Gollin said. 'You need to take proactive measures to get people to safety.' Water as heavy as a jumbo jet A small amount of water — less than many might think — can sweep away people, cars and homes. Six inches (15.2 centimeters) is enough to knock people off their feet. A couple of feet of fast-moving water can take away an SUV or truck, and even less can move cars. 'Suppose you are in a normal car, a normal sedan, and a semitrailer comes and pushes you at the back of the car. That's the kind of force you're talking about,' said Venkataraman Lakshmi, a University of Virginia professor and president of the hydrology section of the American Geophysical Union. And at Comfort, it took just over 15 minutes for so much water to arrive that not only could it float away a large pickup truck, but structures were in danger — water as heavy as a jumbo jet moved by every second. At that point, 'We are past vehicles, homes and things can start being affected,' said Daniel Henz, flood warning program manager at the flood control district of Maricopa County, Arizona, an area that gets dangerous scary flash floods. The water not only pushes objects but floats them, and that can actually be scarier. The feeling of being pushed is felt immediately, letting a person know they are in danger. Upward force may not be felt until it is overwhelming, according to Upmanu Lall, a water expert at Arizona State University and Columbia University. 'The buoyancy happens — it's like a yes, no situation. If the water reaches a certain depth and it has some velocity, you're going to get knocked off (your feet) and floating simultaneously,' he said. The mechanics of a flash flood The landscape created the conditions for what some witnesses described as a fast-moving wall of water. Lots of limestone covered by a thin layer of soil in hilly country meant that when rain fell, it ran quickly downhill with little of it absorbed by the ground, according to S. Jeffress Williams, senior scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey. A flash flood generally starts with an initial lead wave and then builds as rain rushes over the landscape and into the river basin. It may rise quickly, but the water still takes some time to converge. The water crumpled cars into piles, twisted steel and knocked trees down as if they were strands of grass. Images captured the chaos and randomness of the water's violence. And then, not as fast as it rose, but still quickly, the river receded. Five hours after its crest at Comfort, it had already dropped 10 feet (3 meters), revealing its damage in retreat. A couple of days after it started to rise, a person could stand with their head above the river again. 'Everything just can happen, very, very quickly,' Henz said. ___ Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
Al Arabiya
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Here are some things you can do to be better prepared for major flooding
Catastrophic floods can be difficult to prepare for. Sometimes evacuation is the right call, but if it's too late, the best bet is to find higher ground nearby. The stakes can be high because a flash flood may give those in its path only minutes or seconds to react. The right moves depend on the storm and the geography, said James Doss-Gollin, an assistant professor who teaches civil and environmental engineering at Rice University. For example, the advice won't be the same for people who live near a beach and those who live by a river, he said. 'Some places you're worried about the water moving really fast in the river. Some places you're worried about roads getting flooded, but the water might not be moving very fast. So often your local community is going to have the best information,' he said. Regardless of the storm or where it's happening, Richina Bicette-McCain, an emergency physician with Baylor College of Medicine, said preparation is key. 'One of my favorite phrases is, 'if you stay ready, then you don't have to get ready,'' she said. If you live in the United States, make sure the National Weather Service's automatic weather alerts on your phone are activated. If you live in another country, find out what the weather agency is and how they provide alerts. If you don't have a phone or it's not working, the weather service recommends NOAA Weather Radio, local news coverage, and listening for the Emergency Alert System on TV and radio broadcasts. These alerts typically include a few key phrases that indicate how serious the threat is. Here's a quick glossary:1. Flood watch: Hazardous weather is possible. Be prepared.2. Flood advisory: Flooding is expected to be inconvenient but not necessarily dangerous. Be aware.3. Flood warning: Hazardous weather is imminent or already happening. Take action.4. Flash flood warning: Flooding is imminent or already happening, and the flood is especially sudden or violent. You might only have seconds to find higher ground.5. Flash flood emergency: There's a severe threat to human life, and catastrophic damage is about to happen or is already happening. This is exceedingly rare, and at this point, officials are typically reporting evacuations and rescues. Doss-Gollin said before the National Weather Service issues a warning or emergency alert, it's important for people to know where the nearest high places are that will not flood, so evacuees can move quickly if needed. Bicette-McCain has her go-bag ready and refreshed every hurricane season that includes flashlights, spare batteries, food, and water. And she said patients seeking medical care in flood emergencies typically face one of two problems: either they can't use their regular medications or medical devices once the power goes out, or they're dehydrated. So she said the most important items to throw in are medications, batteries, and lots of drinking water. 'I don't know if you've ever been so thirsty that you're just desperate for a morsel of liquid to drink, but sometimes people get into that situation, and they'll resort to drinking flood water. And if you survive the flood, the implications of drinking flood water may be what does you in,' she said. The National Weather Service, FEMA, and American Red Cross all have emergency go-bag recommendations that include personal hygiene items, warm blankets, and a whistle to signal for help. Doss-Gollin's go-bag includes diapers and milk for his baby and a weather radio that's designed to pick up radio frequencies from far away in case the power is out or the local tower goes down. 'We have one that's hand-crank, which I really like because I'm not going to check the batteries on those every couple of months to make sure that they're working,' he said. Once the storm has arrived, find out what local officials are recommending and follow their instructions. 'If it's time to evacuate, do it before the storm comes. We see a lot of casualties from people attempting to stay at their home,' Bicette-McCain said. 'Don't be that person.' Bicette-McCain said it is never a good idea to touch the stormwater because it is impossible to know how contaminated it is. The only exception is if the space you're in is so dangerous that you have to trudge through water to get somewhere safer. In that case, she recommended finding an umbrella or big stick to judge how deep the water is or whether there is debris in front of you. 'We're talking very turbulent, very putrid waters that you can't see through,' she said. If it's too late to evacuate, don't. Trying can be fatal. Just 6 inches (15 centimeters) of moving water can knock a person down, and a foot of moving water can move a car. 'Very often the people that die during floods … are driving across bridges or they're trying to drive through water,' Doss-Gollin said. The one piece of advice that everyone will give you is, 'don't drive through floodwaters ever.'
