Photo Credit: Denis Jr. Tangney/iStock

Text Size:

May 5, 2010 In Linden, Tennessee, a wife watched in agony as her husband attempted to save their daughter from flood waters, only to lose both of them, according to WSMV-TV in Nashville.

Sherry Qualls' husband, Bobby, tried to save the couple's daughter, Kylie, from chest-deep water in a rushing creek in their back yard. Bobby Qualls had earlier managed to take his son to higher ground, but by the time he tried to rescue his daughter, the water had already risen substantially. Kylie was hugging a tree to keep from being swept away. Sherry Qualls said it was the last time she saw both her husband and daughter alive.

"From his neck up, he was staring at me. He didn't say anything, just staring at me. She was screaming for her daddy to help her, and then by the time the rescue squad got her, I didn't see them anymore. I didn't see them float away," she said. Bobby Qualls' body was found Monday a mile downstream. His daughter's body was in a field, not far from where her father was discovered.

"He was a hero. He sacrificed himself for his kids; that's what I think," said Sherry Qualls. Every year, around 125 people like XX die because of flooding. Believe it or not, it's the #1 cause of weather-related fatalities in this country. Sure, tornadoes and hurricanes get a lot of attention, but flooding kills the most.

These losses are especially tragic because so many are preventable.

As the Red River rises to a 112-year-high this week and floods spread across the upper reaches of the United States, it's worth remembering a few basic rules of survival:

1. Turn Around, Don't Drown. That's the National Weather Service's slogan about floods. If you come upon any kind of flood water, stop, turn around, and find another route. Even shallow-looking water can knock you down or float your vehicle. A good rule of thumb: If you can't see the yellow line on a road, you're in trouble. If it's safe, get out of our car and find higher ground.

2. Your Car Won't Keep You Safe. It may surprise you but vehicles are the number one killers in floods. In fact, as many as 60 percent of flood-related deaths occur because people try to drive through the water, often trying to get home to safety. Here's why driving in a flood is especially dangerous. Water weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot and usually travels between six to 12 miles per hour, depending on the slope. For every foot the water rises, it pushes with 500 pounds of lateral force against your vehicle. In addition, water can carry away even the heaviest car. Indeed, every foot of water lifts around 1,500 pounds of vehicle weight. That's why two feet of water will float a 3,000 pound car.

3. Run - Don't Walk - from Moving Water.Six inches of moving water can knock you down. If you're swept away in a torrent, you'll have to contend with all kinds of unpleasant objects like tree branches, fences, signs, not to mention snakes. So it's always wiser to avoid the water in the first place. If you have a choice, don't even think about stepping into water.

Hundreds of family, friends and classmates attended the funeral for Bayleigh Stovall in El Dorado. Others left pink flowers and pink crosses on the roadside where she crashed. It's a small but growing memorial, friends say, for a special girl with a big heart and personality. It's also a reminder of how quickly a drive home in the rain - or a trip anywhere - can turn deadly.

A fund has been set up at First Bank in Linden. The public can mail donations to: First Bank/The Bobby Qualls Fund, 120 West Main Street, Linden, TN 37096. Or make a credit card contribution by calling Perry Community Hospital at 1-931-589-2121.

Comments / Post a comment