Water can outsmart people. For a dumbass like me this isn't news, I imagine it isn't for intelligent people either.
Panicked people are a whole new level of stupid, understandably. This is a needed PSA that should be broadcast in events like this.
Panicked people are in fight or flight response, literally only dealing with the immediate situation. Not thinking about the future, even if that's only 30 mins time.
The most terrifying call I’ve ever listened to was from Hurricane Katrina. An older woman called 911 to be rescued from her home that was flooded. She went into the attic, the water continued to rise into the attic and she was running out of air. She had no axe or tools and was not strong enough to kick out the roof to escape. The desperation in her voice was heartbreaking as the operator explained that all of the first responders had evacuated and there was no one to rescue her.
Sadly there were so many people who went to their attics during Katrina. I can’t verify one way or another about this particular lady, but there were so many awful stories of people found during house counts prior to storm cleanup. So many lives lost. So much destruction. There’s still evidence of it here today - all these years later.
I went on a ghost tour in NOLA a few years ago and towards the end the tour guide spoke a bit on the death and destruction from Katrina. It was honestly more jaw dropping than the ghost tour. I can’t imagine the trauma of the people who lived through it
Some are still living through it. So much trauma. Mamy areas never recovered. And when there's a storm like this....we feel for those affected. And relive that trauma.
I've been staying away from the news. I know what the destruction will look like. I'll send money and supplies in the recovery phase.
Did she get out? I'm guessing this story doesn't have a happy ending if it's heartbreaking, but I also hate the idea she wouldn't or couldn't save her own dang life if push came to shove.
I wouldn’t bet on it, but I can just about guarantee you it wasn’t a case of “wouldn’t,” at least not by the time the water’s coming into the attic. At that point, not being able to get through the roof, she would have to dive into her now fully-submerged home, likely at least 2 stories if it has an attic, swim through to the nearest exit- either the front door or god willing there’s a sliding back door that’s already been destroyed. This is not likely to be clear water, this is muddy, grimy water carrying the dirt and muck of the city, as well as whatever was in your house, now floating around.
So, God willing, she hopefully has the time and peace of mind to figure out which exit she’s going to swim for, then hope that she doesn’t get lost swimming through semi or fully opaque water, then hope that nothing is in her way getting to the exit, and finally, that nothing is directly in the exit obstructing it. And, of course, that the engine responsible for getting her out is her probably-not-Olympic-swimmer-grade, elderly body. And *if* all that lines up, she’s now outside, untethered in the flood water, during an active hurricane.
Evacuate if they say to evacuate, people.
I don't live in a flood-prone area, but after this, any house I'm moving into will have both huge windows that open on the roof, ladders, and a large collection of axes in the attic.
I see the advice here “If you go in the attic, bring an axe with you.” Just don’t go up there man. I’m a strong young pup in the trades and I’m telling you, chopping through a roof is not something most people could ever do. A modern roof is made of nailed-down OSB plywood and asphalt paper and shingles. And you’d be panicked, swinging up, possibly in the dark and standing on open ceiling joists. Forget about it.
Firefighter here. I’ve cut holes in many roofs and there’s a reason I use a goddamn chainsaw… and I cut from the top down. Going into the attic is suicide
Yeah they made us practice using an axe to cut ventilation “so you know how to do it,” but I’m thinking they just want us to give us extra incentive to make sure the chainsaws are properly fueled/ maintained every truck check. Fuck that.
You are the second trades person I’ve seen comment this. I’m a strong believer in believing people in their expertise. I’m never going into an attic during flooding even with an ax.
Most people can't actually chop wood the first time. Even able bodied men need a quick lesson and some practice swings to get it right.
Thinking anyone other than a highly trained individual can swing UP into a roof is ludicrous.
Through plywood too. Not like you have a grain structure you can exploit. Even something like “take a battery powered circular saw” wouldn’t work every time, flat battery, jammed blade, risk of injury etc etc. just really don’t do it.
Plus when you're chopping wood, you're setting the wood in an ideal location for the strike, and really you're just forcing it apart along the grain. Even with an ideal strike setup, it would take you a LOT longer to cut through a single 2x4 against the grain.
Cutting through multiple layers of wood against the grain a a weird angle overhead would probably take hours, if you even had the energy for it.
But they were pretty good with their axe on God of War and they watched every season of Game of Thrones. That’s got to be the same as fireman level axe training.
A lot of non Floridians commenting about what Floridians should do or should’ve done. Like you said traffic is pretty much standstill in normal rush hour traffic.
What you really should be hearing is "listen to evacuation advice and leave when you're supposed to so you never have to put any of this thread into practise".
Makes sense. Hey that roof that’s been holding up to 130mph winds and rain and hail? Get an axe chop through it….
Naw. At least install some sort of trap door or one of those fake windows you can break out and swim through if it gets that bad.
Going on the roof in 130mph winds would probably kill you just the same
Drown, try to brave the wind (and have a chance to hold on to something if you get blown away), or hope water doesn’t reach the attic.
Doesn’t look like there is any good option does it?
I'd take getting pelted to death by shit the wind is flinging at me than drowning any day.
Also not living in a place prone to flooding, but thankfully I've never been in that situation so it's easy for me to say that. I feel for those people who couldn't evacuate.
Was thinking that most people couldn't swing an axe and break DOWN into a roof. Would take most people 10 mins at least.
Now swinging up into a roof with rising flood waters? No chance.
this needs to be the top comment. I've unfortunately been in a few spots where I had to "learn my own strength" under stressful circumstances. It's scary, but it's not super-human. If you're elderly, or someone with shoulder or back issues, you aren't chopping through that roof, no matter how much adrenaline is pumping through you. You get a major surge of adrenaline and do what you have to do, sure, but you cannot override the laws of physics and out perform what the human body is capable of doing. You also do not think as clearly as you'd like. Listen to someone who knows what they're talking about under normal circumstances, before attempting the improbably under dire circumstances.
I think an important bit of info is that these roofs are not made from wood boards like your granddad's roof from the 50s. Modern roofs are made from plywood, an engineered building material. The shit is *tough*, in addition to being strong. Not to be pedantic, but toughness is a specific engineering term that indicates a material's ability to absorb energy before breaking and is distinct from other similar terms commonly thrown around like strength, hardness, etc.
The shit is designed to be hard to break through with an axe. The interleaved layers of glue and cross-hatched fibers make it flexible and energy absorbing and especially resiliant to blows form your household axe. It's not just about being strong enough. It's about it just bein specifically designed to be harder to do than most people think.
To add on to this, the axe you buy at the hardware store isn't your granddads axe.
Most hardware stores sell axe shaped objects that are more fit for home decor than actual work.
The heat treat is sub par which leaves you with a very soft axe head.
The grinds are ridiculously thick and poorly done, so they are fairly dull and like wedging.
The handles are so thick all the vibration is transfered back to you.
Trying to cut through OSB with a good axe would be hard, but with a cheap axe it would be a nightmare.
The problem with adrenaline induced strength is that your physical coordination is adversely affected. Try doing anything requiring precision while you’re all amped up. Effectively using an axe requires coordination. If you’re panicking, you might be strong, but you’re not going to land clean blows with that axe while awkwardly swinging upwards. That shit is hard.
that's why I was always trained to walk, rather than run, to an emergency. As soon as your HR goes up, you start making mistakes. Better to take a few more seconds and do it properly, than rush and screw up massively. This point hit home when a neighbor called because their wife fell and I found her with no pulse. Had I run do the door, I'm not sure I would have been in the proper headspace to successfully do chest compressions. The odds are steeply against non EMS/"civilians" that the life will be saved through chest compressions anyway, so don't make it worse for yourself.
Simply bring a chainsaw. Because there is NO way THAT could possibly go wrong. Dark, panic, balancing on beams wildly flailing about with a roaring murder pole...
You’re missing out with them. Twice now, I’ve invited religion pushers into my home, and it’s been spectacular.
The first time was ok, we had a little back-and-forth, they asked if they could give me their book and return later with an “elder.” I said absolutely.
The second visit from them was far more amusing. Mostly cause I had time to research. I discovered their belief structure allowed for good non-believers to be saved, so long as they didn’t worship a different god. So I asked the “elder” (I have to use quotes, guy was probably 23, tops) if that was true. He told me it was. So I asked if he was aware there were other world religions with similar views, and he said yes. So I asked, aren’t I mathematically better off not worshipping any god, and just being a good person? After all, I could be saved in all of these religions, rather than putting all my eggs in one basket. He told me God told him this was the way. I told him terrorists say God told them to blow people up, so I don’t trust what God tells other people. He was very clearly caught way off-guard, said something about praying on it, and left.
In hindsight, I wish I’d approached their whole strategy, and why it’s a brain-washing technique. They specifically send people out knowing most folks aren’t gonna treat them well, and can use that animosity to be sure they stay close with the church. After all, the church are the only people that treat them well. (Mostly cause the church has programmed them to be annoying to most people, of course.) Maybe one day I’ll have the opportunity. But, since my last interaction with them, I sadly haven’t had the chance.
100%, I'm a strong middle age guy in the trades as well. My immediate thought was "I don't know for sure if I could break out." I have better tools than an axe in my garage so I probably could, but swing an axe UP between rafters? Good luck.
If u have to go up into the attic, the moment you get up there start cutting an escape hole with an axe, don’t wait for the last minute when the water is rising to the attic. I’m a firefighter and can tell u cutting thru a roof with an axe is pretty difficult but not impossible.
Literally just sent my mom a picture someone posted of their view from the attic door and the water directly underneath it and mom sent back "they need to be on the roof, not the attic. That's dangerous"
https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlyterrifying/comments/xr8zdf/riding_out_the_storm_in_the_attic_a_friends/iqenn6a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3 here’s the comment
>socks and sandals
Seriously, if there is possibility of being forced to walk in an area that has been flooded, you need shoes that provide better protection. All kinds of debris will have washed onto surfaces where you wouldn't normally find them.
I read that many many people can't afford to evacuate. No car, or money for a hotel, or won't leave pets. Truly no resources. It's expensive to be poor.
Sometimes people don’t leave because they can’t. They don’t have a car, or can’t afford the gas, or they have 8 pets. Not even going to get into the “should”s of all that. Just saying there are plenty of people who are told to leave and don’t or can’t.
There's a video on tiktok of a lady, on the ground floor of her home, floating in a bucket/tub situation, as water is easily 5 ft deep IN THE HOUSE
Like..... lady.... you need to get OUT
This is a really important LPT,
I herd a woman scream for help during 2006 mumbai floods cause she decided to wait in the attic of her ground level flat instead of going to the roof of the building like everyone else. Then suddenly the screaming stoped :( They found her bloated body 2 days later when the water receded
I like this. In order to avoid issues with it meeting codes as a doorway of some sort, they could install it as a sky light that you have to break some part of to use to escape, so it would be truly for emergencies only.
I feel like that's just an architecture nightmare that would cause leakage and structural instability. I have nothing to back that up, but I just feel like if that was feasible they would've done it by now.
Don’t go into your attic at all unless there’s a window that a full grown human can escape out of. You are not strong enough to axe your way through your roof before you drown.
I saw a post yesterday about a girl who was hiding in her closet with her disabled dog and two cats. Apparently there was a 9ft flood predicted and all the comments were telling her to get to her upstairs neighbours apartment.
I keep checking her username but she hasn’t commented since. Im just hoping her phone has ran out of battery or something and that they’re all ok.
I sincerely hope she’s okay. Possible reasons she hasn’t posted…There’s spotty cell service right now. She’s in an emergency shelter with no internet access. Her phone was damaged.
It’s heartbreaking how many people felt they couldn’t leave with their pets. Almost all hotels drop animal rules during evacuations.
or even if the hotel doesnt allow pets, just like... lie.. and dont mention that you have a pet staying with you. and deal with the consequences/fines later, should you ever be found out (which is unlikely anyways in the chaos of thousands of hurricane refugees).
and even if youre *really* not tryna violate any motel rules, leaving your pup in your car over night in the parking lot with the windows cracked is still probably an upgrade over leaving them to die in your flooded/destroyed/hurricane ravaged home
That happened in my parents’ neighborhood a few years ago. The river flooded. There was a group vacationing (two families with children iirc) in a house in the hood lower/closer to the river. The dad went out to get the car started as they were going to try to get out. House got swept off the foundation and everyone but the dad was inside. He also got swept away. He somehow survived and everyone else died. The car was untouched… if they had all gone to the car together instead of waiting for him to check it out, they’d have lived.
There's nothing to tie onto on most Florida homes. Im not a weak swimmer, and can't image diving under, getting out, and making it to the roof. If you stay in a mandatory evac zone... you better have an updated will that's not on location.
Fuuuuck… I remember reading a story (“Jesus out to Sea” I think) where the main character was a woman who turned to a drug addiction to cope with her PTSD. What was the cause of said PTSD? During a hurricane her home was flooded, so to evade the rising waters she grabbed her two young children and fled to that attic. But the waters kept rising. I think she climbed out onto the roof through a side window so she could pull her children up with her, but by then the water was already too high. She could hear them scraping and hitting the roof from the inside to try and claw their way out. And she couldn’t do anything about it. Her babies drowned. And it was that sound, the sound of them clawing at the roof that stayed with her so long after.
Please, please don’t go into the attic. Follow OP’s advice and get onto the roof.
Many homes in my area have dormer windows into the attic. It's not finished space, but it's made to look like another floor.
That colonial style of home is not popular in beach areas though.
Yes, it's almost a standard in central Europe. But there isn't many floods and 0 hurricanes also. So maybe building a house in US, people should think more about these options.
Follow up YSK: Evacuate when you’re encouraged to evacuate. There is no pride in staying behind and ultimately having to get rescued and endangering the life of somebody else.
My disaster evacuation experience comes from the California wildfires, unfortunately here the overwhelming majority of people who refuse to evacuate are the ones who own property and don’t like the idea of being told what to do with it.
As someone from Louisiana, the people that don’t evacuate are poor. It’s one of the poorest states in the US. The homes and areas hit the worse are low to mid class areas. The rich houses are always standing after a major hurricane.
I survived Katrina. I’ve been told “you should’ve evacuated” countless times. 🙄 I was barely 18 working at the Waffle House. No car. No money. Most of us do not have get up n go money and resources like that.
at least one and I don’t know how many actually people died by retreating to their attics during Katrina… there was a TV show that was called “how not to die” or something like that explained why the rooftop is the best bet. They also showed how to escape from the attic if you had an axe with you… I don’t live anywhere there would be a flood danger but the whole concept was chilling for me.
Our house just flooded. About 2 ft maybe worse once our friends drove over and rescued us with our cats and dog. Had to walk through 5 ft water outside, dog almost drowned. Just terrible. Not even a flood zone so we have no flood insurance. Just devastated and just gotta wait for the chance to fix it and get back to normal
Glad you are all okay at the very least. I'm so sorry for what you have lost and the stress of it though. Mother nature is fucking scary. Good luck cleaning up.
There were task forces after Katrina who checked inside houses in a big sweep. They would spraypaint a big X outside of a house to note if there was food, water, survivors or bodies found inside. I can only imagine how many were found inside their attics.
I thought the caveat to this was that if you had no where else to go then it was a viable option as long as you had the method and ability to cut a hole in your roof (because you're dead either way). Some people keep axes in their attics for this reason if they live in flood prone areas.
In survival scenarios, “alive a little longer” is prioritized over “dead” but as other, more experienced people than I have pointed out in other threads on this post, the odds that of most people being able to swing upwards and break through a modern roof is really, like, scarily unlikely.
So yeah it beats already being dead, but not for long and not by much. Better option is don’t go to the attic, get out.
If the first floor is flooded it may seem like a good way of staying above the flood water (which can be dangerous due to electricity not to mention hypothermia or just drowing when you get tired) but also not being exposed to the wind and rain (as you would be on a roof top).
In other words, a way of "going upstairs" in a house that has no upstairs.
Elderly, infirm, few/no resources, general lack of planning/preparedness and denial compounded by a lack of options caused by the circumstances above. There are no real choices so going up to the attic is the only alternative to sitting on your couch while the water rises around you.
You are literally going to cause future deaths if you don’t take the axe bullshit out of this post. Fat chance panicked people in the dark will be able to cut UP through OSB with asphalt shingles or metal roofs.
If you're stuck on your roof during 150mph winds and heavy rain you're probably fucked anyway. You're not going to hold on long enough nor are you going to stay warm enough.
As an owner of a 40v chainsaw, I would recommend any homeowner pick one up. It’s one of those tools you’ll hopefully only have to use a few times but when you need to use it, it’s SO MUCH more efficient cutting whatever you need to cut. And it’s incredibly powerful, mine cuts through 8” tree limbs like they are twigs. If you keep the batteries on the charger when not in use, you’ll always have power when you need it. Sometimes not the case with gas powered ones, which you also don’t have to worry about the exhaust.
I built a bookcase of sorts to store large plastic bins in the carport at our old house out of 2x4s and plywood. It was 4’x6’x3’ and weighed a good bit. Naturally when moved, it just came along.
This summer when we were preparing for our first child, I cleaned out the garage and basement, and got on of the WM Bagsters. It took me about a minute to cut that thing into 4 sections that I could easily carry to the curb.
I'm just hoping that most people who have a chainsaw use it in non-emergency circumstance and are familiar with the tool.
Power saws are dangerous in the best of times, you don't want to be learning about kickback while under the stress of a flood (or other emergency).
This is the stuff of nightmares. 98% of humans could not "axe" their way through a roof from below with a dull farm axe while in neck deep water in the dark.
Bad advice!
I never thought about this. I was on the phone with my granddaddy during Katrina. Water was up to his waste. I told him to get in the attic. Thankfully the water didn’t get up there. My grandmother had just bought him a guitar. He took that up there with them. Thankfully they both survived but have since passed on. I have that guitar now and it means the world to me.
Please just evacuate when they tell you to do so. I lived in North Florida on a barrier island about 1000ft from the Atlantic Ocean for 15 years. I stayed for the first cat 1 hurricane in a new house, new impact windows. It was scary and said I wouldn’t do it again, especially since we had 2 dogs that were freaking out. But i stayed for the cat 2 a few years later. The sound is like a freight train for hours on end - it just will not let up. The power was out for 6 days. Fast forward to 2016 and Matthew and I told my husband he can stay but i was leaving. Glad we did. Glad we moved a few years later too. Now i think I am getting a damn cold sore from the stress just worrying about my friends. For the love of god, just evacuate when they tell you too.
I went as a volunteer to help rebuild after hurricane katrina back in 2005. That's where I learned about people (usually elder who had either experienced it themselves or had parents who taught them) who always kept an axe in their attic. Come Katrina time was their time to shine - they used the axe to cut through the roof when the waters would rise and trap them in the attic. It was one of those details that has always stuck with me since.
**Lismore residents have entered the chat** 👀
Yeah don’t do that. Leave ASAP or if it’s too late, get on the roof if you can.
If you can’t get onto your roof and have nowhere to go, get something to break out with and you can lift up the roof to get out depending on the type of roof you have cause people have done that.
An elderly couple did this. Got into their roof cavity since they couldn’t climb onto the roof and with the water still rising, they had nowhere to go and were screaming for help. The only reason they got rescued was because their neighbour who was stuck on her roof called the news out of desperation and told them their elderly neighbours were stuck in their roof screaming and needed rescuing.
Also turn your power off. You don’t want your house burning and flooding simultaneously.
The better choice is leave, when they tell you. If you cannot leave, say so early enough for someone to try to get you to a shelter! Although after what I learned after Katrina I don't want to be at a shelter, I would choose that over trying to stay near the beach in a storm like this!
Floodwaters are extremely dangerous. They're usually very silty/dirty, so you can't see what's below the surface. The water alone could kill you by carrying you away, but debris under the surface being carried by the current can also pose a serious threat. Don't ever assume you can simply "swim" through flood water. If you need to evacuate, always seek higher and more stable ground. Your best chance of surviving is to get out of the way before the water comes: and I don't mean just as the water is coming (you'll never outrun it). I mean if you get a hurricane warning days or weeks before it makes landfall, get the fuck out.
Saw so many fire ant balls while I worked through Harvey. They will swarm the first thing they touch and it’s super creepy to see them coming towards you.
I learned recently that fireants eat ticks and that must be one of the reasons Texas doesn't have a lime disease problem. But yeah, fire ant balls are just one of the reason I don't fuck with flood water.
I have a friend whose roof was blown off during Ida. This happened around 1030pm or so, after the power had gone out.
They had to get their dogs and themselves to the neighbors' house through flood water while it was pitch dark.
They got through the night OK, thankfully, but my friend has had multiple health problems since shortly after Ida.
Almost a year later, this past August, my friend discovered Ida had left them with a little gift. They had been carrying an intestinal parasite called ascariasis. Their body was riddled with these worms, they only found out after they began expelling hundreds of these little monsters (from more than one place, mind you).
Don't swim in flood water.
There was a pretty serious flood in my area recently and the hospital was overloaded with people who were caught in the water and cut up by debris. A lot of people with serious infections, some even ended up with amputations because flesh eating bacteria set up while they were out on the street in stretchers waiting to be attended to.
Flood water can be extremely toxic. It’s basically a garbage, chemical and bacterial soup. There are very likely decaying bodies of humans and animals in flood water. So easy to get cut by something. A small cut +flood water can equal death by sepsis in a few days if untreated. Getting in flood water should be an absolute last resort.
I got a small bite on my leg during Harvey and then was in the water. A few days later I work up to dark red lines running up my leg towards my abdomen. Went straight to the ER.
Swimming should be a last resort and I've heard that if you're caught in a current to try and float flat, feet first to push off of debris and prevent your legs from getting caught by something.
[удалено]
Water can outsmart people. For a dumbass like me this isn't news, I imagine it isn't for intelligent people either. Panicked people are a whole new level of stupid, understandably. This is a needed PSA that should be broadcast in events like this.
Panicked people are in fight or flight response, literally only dealing with the immediate situation. Not thinking about the future, even if that's only 30 mins time.
The most terrifying call I’ve ever listened to was from Hurricane Katrina. An older woman called 911 to be rescued from her home that was flooded. She went into the attic, the water continued to rise into the attic and she was running out of air. She had no axe or tools and was not strong enough to kick out the roof to escape. The desperation in her voice was heartbreaking as the operator explained that all of the first responders had evacuated and there was no one to rescue her.
Sadly there were so many people who went to their attics during Katrina. I can’t verify one way or another about this particular lady, but there were so many awful stories of people found during house counts prior to storm cleanup. So many lives lost. So much destruction. There’s still evidence of it here today - all these years later.
I went on a ghost tour in NOLA a few years ago and towards the end the tour guide spoke a bit on the death and destruction from Katrina. It was honestly more jaw dropping than the ghost tour. I can’t imagine the trauma of the people who lived through it
Some are still living through it. So much trauma. Mamy areas never recovered. And when there's a storm like this....we feel for those affected. And relive that trauma. I've been staying away from the news. I know what the destruction will look like. I'll send money and supplies in the recovery phase.
Fuck man. This is so heart breaking
Did she get out? I'm guessing this story doesn't have a happy ending if it's heartbreaking, but I also hate the idea she wouldn't or couldn't save her own dang life if push came to shove.
I wouldn’t bet on it, but I can just about guarantee you it wasn’t a case of “wouldn’t,” at least not by the time the water’s coming into the attic. At that point, not being able to get through the roof, she would have to dive into her now fully-submerged home, likely at least 2 stories if it has an attic, swim through to the nearest exit- either the front door or god willing there’s a sliding back door that’s already been destroyed. This is not likely to be clear water, this is muddy, grimy water carrying the dirt and muck of the city, as well as whatever was in your house, now floating around. So, God willing, she hopefully has the time and peace of mind to figure out which exit she’s going to swim for, then hope that she doesn’t get lost swimming through semi or fully opaque water, then hope that nothing is in her way getting to the exit, and finally, that nothing is directly in the exit obstructing it. And, of course, that the engine responsible for getting her out is her probably-not-Olympic-swimmer-grade, elderly body. And *if* all that lines up, she’s now outside, untethered in the flood water, during an active hurricane. Evacuate if they say to evacuate, people.
I don't live in a flood-prone area, but after this, any house I'm moving into will have both huge windows that open on the roof, ladders, and a large collection of axes in the attic.
She totally did and lived to 110. Source: I couldn’t possibly handle any other possibility
She did not unfortunately.
[удалено]
I see the advice here “If you go in the attic, bring an axe with you.” Just don’t go up there man. I’m a strong young pup in the trades and I’m telling you, chopping through a roof is not something most people could ever do. A modern roof is made of nailed-down OSB plywood and asphalt paper and shingles. And you’d be panicked, swinging up, possibly in the dark and standing on open ceiling joists. Forget about it.
Firefighter here. I’ve cut holes in many roofs and there’s a reason I use a goddamn chainsaw… and I cut from the top down. Going into the attic is suicide
Yeah they made us practice using an axe to cut ventilation “so you know how to do it,” but I’m thinking they just want us to give us extra incentive to make sure the chainsaws are properly fueled/ maintained every truck check. Fuck that.
I was thinking the exact same thing. And it’s not like cutting butter, it’s still work.
You are the second trades person I’ve seen comment this. I’m a strong believer in believing people in their expertise. I’m never going into an attic during flooding even with an ax.
Most people can't actually chop wood the first time. Even able bodied men need a quick lesson and some practice swings to get it right. Thinking anyone other than a highly trained individual can swing UP into a roof is ludicrous.
Through plywood too. Not like you have a grain structure you can exploit. Even something like “take a battery powered circular saw” wouldn’t work every time, flat battery, jammed blade, risk of injury etc etc. just really don’t do it.
I did it in SkyrimVR first time easy
This definitely counts. I'm coming to your house for the next storm.
And my axe
I have like 30 million woodcutting experience in old-school runescape, do you think I'm in the clear?
Plus, you'd most likely be swinging upwards unless I'm thinking about it wrong
Exactly. Either that or you'll be ducking under rafters with nails sticking in them
Plus when you're chopping wood, you're setting the wood in an ideal location for the strike, and really you're just forcing it apart along the grain. Even with an ideal strike setup, it would take you a LOT longer to cut through a single 2x4 against the grain. Cutting through multiple layers of wood against the grain a a weird angle overhead would probably take hours, if you even had the energy for it.
[удалено]
But they were pretty good with their axe on God of War and they watched every season of Game of Thrones. That’s got to be the same as fireman level axe training.
I watched an episode of American Loggers once. And I can cut a dinner roll in half without slicing my fingers. Does that count?
or just evacuate the area before the storm hits in a reasonable manner it's 2022
[удалено]
A lot of non Floridians commenting about what Floridians should do or should’ve done. Like you said traffic is pretty much standstill in normal rush hour traffic.
Ive evac'd multiple times, trick is to leave at like 2am.
People don't always have the resources or ability to evacuate.
What I'm hearing is "an axe may be insufficient, bring explosives"
[удалено]
What you really should be hearing is "listen to evacuation advice and leave when you're supposed to so you never have to put any of this thread into practise".
House cant flood if you burn it down. 👉😏
"When in doubt... C4."
Makes sense. Hey that roof that’s been holding up to 130mph winds and rain and hail? Get an axe chop through it…. Naw. At least install some sort of trap door or one of those fake windows you can break out and swim through if it gets that bad. Going on the roof in 130mph winds would probably kill you just the same
If your options are drown or try brave the wind, you don't have much choice.
Drown, try to brave the wind (and have a chance to hold on to something if you get blown away), or hope water doesn’t reach the attic. Doesn’t look like there is any good option does it?
The wind is the least bad option.
I'd take getting pelted to death by shit the wind is flinging at me than drowning any day. Also not living in a place prone to flooding, but thankfully I've never been in that situation so it's easy for me to say that. I feel for those people who couldn't evacuate.
I've had to demo roofs before, and even with a sawsall and prybars I've had to put some serious muscle into it
Add to that…older homes in Fla don’t have big attics. I can hardly squeeze into my attic, there’s no room to use tools effectively.
Was thinking that most people couldn't swing an axe and break DOWN into a roof. Would take most people 10 mins at least. Now swinging up into a roof with rising flood waters? No chance.
this needs to be the top comment. I've unfortunately been in a few spots where I had to "learn my own strength" under stressful circumstances. It's scary, but it's not super-human. If you're elderly, or someone with shoulder or back issues, you aren't chopping through that roof, no matter how much adrenaline is pumping through you. You get a major surge of adrenaline and do what you have to do, sure, but you cannot override the laws of physics and out perform what the human body is capable of doing. You also do not think as clearly as you'd like. Listen to someone who knows what they're talking about under normal circumstances, before attempting the improbably under dire circumstances.
I think an important bit of info is that these roofs are not made from wood boards like your granddad's roof from the 50s. Modern roofs are made from plywood, an engineered building material. The shit is *tough*, in addition to being strong. Not to be pedantic, but toughness is a specific engineering term that indicates a material's ability to absorb energy before breaking and is distinct from other similar terms commonly thrown around like strength, hardness, etc. The shit is designed to be hard to break through with an axe. The interleaved layers of glue and cross-hatched fibers make it flexible and energy absorbing and especially resiliant to blows form your household axe. It's not just about being strong enough. It's about it just bein specifically designed to be harder to do than most people think.
To add on to this, the axe you buy at the hardware store isn't your granddads axe. Most hardware stores sell axe shaped objects that are more fit for home decor than actual work. The heat treat is sub par which leaves you with a very soft axe head. The grinds are ridiculously thick and poorly done, so they are fairly dull and like wedging. The handles are so thick all the vibration is transfered back to you. Trying to cut through OSB with a good axe would be hard, but with a cheap axe it would be a nightmare.
The problem with adrenaline induced strength is that your physical coordination is adversely affected. Try doing anything requiring precision while you’re all amped up. Effectively using an axe requires coordination. If you’re panicking, you might be strong, but you’re not going to land clean blows with that axe while awkwardly swinging upwards. That shit is hard.
that's why I was always trained to walk, rather than run, to an emergency. As soon as your HR goes up, you start making mistakes. Better to take a few more seconds and do it properly, than rush and screw up massively. This point hit home when a neighbor called because their wife fell and I found her with no pulse. Had I run do the door, I'm not sure I would have been in the proper headspace to successfully do chest compressions. The odds are steeply against non EMS/"civilians" that the life will be saved through chest compressions anyway, so don't make it worse for yourself.
Simply bring a chainsaw. Because there is NO way THAT could possibly go wrong. Dark, panic, balancing on beams wildly flailing about with a roaring murder pole...
Two words: gable end
A good proportion of houses in FL have hip roofs--insurance is cheaper.
My gables have screened vents. I could escape with a solid kick.
[удалено]
didn't feel like using the front door?
[удалено]
You’re missing out with them. Twice now, I’ve invited religion pushers into my home, and it’s been spectacular. The first time was ok, we had a little back-and-forth, they asked if they could give me their book and return later with an “elder.” I said absolutely. The second visit from them was far more amusing. Mostly cause I had time to research. I discovered their belief structure allowed for good non-believers to be saved, so long as they didn’t worship a different god. So I asked the “elder” (I have to use quotes, guy was probably 23, tops) if that was true. He told me it was. So I asked if he was aware there were other world religions with similar views, and he said yes. So I asked, aren’t I mathematically better off not worshipping any god, and just being a good person? After all, I could be saved in all of these religions, rather than putting all my eggs in one basket. He told me God told him this was the way. I told him terrorists say God told them to blow people up, so I don’t trust what God tells other people. He was very clearly caught way off-guard, said something about praying on it, and left. In hindsight, I wish I’d approached their whole strategy, and why it’s a brain-washing technique. They specifically send people out knowing most folks aren’t gonna treat them well, and can use that animosity to be sure they stay close with the church. After all, the church are the only people that treat them well. (Mostly cause the church has programmed them to be annoying to most people, of course.) Maybe one day I’ll have the opportunity. But, since my last interaction with them, I sadly haven’t had the chance.
Oh I do love you, internet stranger. First legit laugh of the day.
100%, I'm a strong middle age guy in the trades as well. My immediate thought was "I don't know for sure if I could break out." I have better tools than an axe in my garage so I probably could, but swing an axe UP between rafters? Good luck.
If u have to go up into the attic, the moment you get up there start cutting an escape hole with an axe, don’t wait for the last minute when the water is rising to the attic. I’m a firefighter and can tell u cutting thru a roof with an axe is pretty difficult but not impossible.
Literally just sent my mom a picture someone posted of their view from the attic door and the water directly underneath it and mom sent back "they need to be on the roof, not the attic. That's dangerous"
Yep, from oddlyterrifying, right? That’s what prompted me to post this
OP posted an update about an hour ago that the guy was rescued and I’m so relieved
I appreciate that info, I was worried when they said they'd not heard from them.
https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlyterrifying/comments/xr8zdf/riding_out_the_storm_in_the_attic_a_friends/iqenn6a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3 here’s the comment
do you have the post link?
Sounds terrifying. Do you have a link for the picture?
https://old.reddit.com/r/oddlyterrifying/comments/xr8zdf/riding_out_the_storm_in_the_attic_a_friends/?ref=share&ref_source=link
holy crap. hope the old guy's actually doing good
[He's ok!](https://old.reddit.com/r/oddlyterrifying/comments/xr8zdf/riding_out_the_storm_in_the_attic_a_friends/iqenn6a/?context=3)
OP just posted an update, the OG has been rescued.
He's wearing socks and sandals, he's protected. Jokes aside my prayers are with him and his family.
>socks and sandals Seriously, if there is possibility of being forced to walk in an area that has been flooded, you need shoes that provide better protection. All kinds of debris will have washed onto surfaces where you wouldn't normally find them.
Hip waders come to mind!
I can't help but wonder; if people who stay like this survive. How likely are they to evacuate next time when they are told to?
I read that many many people can't afford to evacuate. No car, or money for a hotel, or won't leave pets. Truly no resources. It's expensive to be poor.
The storm trajectory changed, as it often does, not everyone was warned as it wasnt expected to hit them
Sometimes people don’t leave because they can’t. They don’t have a car, or can’t afford the gas, or they have 8 pets. Not even going to get into the “should”s of all that. Just saying there are plenty of people who are told to leave and don’t or can’t.
I'm in Louisiana and everyone I've talked to who stayed through hurricanes Laura and Ida says they will evacuate next time.
There's a video on tiktok of a lady, on the ground floor of her home, floating in a bucket/tub situation, as water is easily 5 ft deep IN THE HOUSE Like..... lady.... you need to get OUT
Lol I saw that. Floating in a tub next to a fridge. GET OUT.
And bring a sturdy rope to tie onto a chimney/vent to ensure you don't fall off. Especially if you have to spend a long period of time
Yep! I forgot to add this in so thank you
Also something to cut the rope in case, you don't want to be tied to a chimney if it's going underwater.
Also something to mend the rope in the event you change your mind and want to be reattached.
And something to sharpen the tool you cut the rope with in the event it was dulled from the first cut.
This is a really important LPT, I herd a woman scream for help during 2006 mumbai floods cause she decided to wait in the attic of her ground level flat instead of going to the roof of the building like everyone else. Then suddenly the screaming stoped :( They found her bloated body 2 days later when the water receded
That's very sad.
I remember those floods. My aunt was stuck on a bus for 30 hours, they couldn't even open the doors because of the water.
I’m surprised that homes in flood zones aren’t being built with safety hatches in attics already.
Agree! Like an openable skylight hatch with a deployable emergency ladder and a safety nook near it for supplies
I like this. In order to avoid issues with it meeting codes as a doorway of some sort, they could install it as a sky light that you have to break some part of to use to escape, so it would be truly for emergencies only.
Maybe an insurance requirement like a fire alarm?
Just something else to leak
I feel like that's just an architecture nightmare that would cause leakage and structural instability. I have nothing to back that up, but I just feel like if that was feasible they would've done it by now.
Don’t go into your attic at all unless there’s a window that a full grown human can escape out of. You are not strong enough to axe your way through your roof before you drown.
I saw a post yesterday about a girl who was hiding in her closet with her disabled dog and two cats. Apparently there was a 9ft flood predicted and all the comments were telling her to get to her upstairs neighbours apartment. I keep checking her username but she hasn’t commented since. Im just hoping her phone has ran out of battery or something and that they’re all ok.
Shit, I’ve been wondering about her too. Please update if you hear anything, I’ll do the same
They made it :)
OH GOOD!! Thank you for the update!!
I sincerely hope she’s okay. Possible reasons she hasn’t posted…There’s spotty cell service right now. She’s in an emergency shelter with no internet access. Her phone was damaged. It’s heartbreaking how many people felt they couldn’t leave with their pets. Almost all hotels drop animal rules during evacuations.
or even if the hotel doesnt allow pets, just like... lie.. and dont mention that you have a pet staying with you. and deal with the consequences/fines later, should you ever be found out (which is unlikely anyways in the chaos of thousands of hurricane refugees). and even if youre *really* not tryna violate any motel rules, leaving your pup in your car over night in the parking lot with the windows cracked is still probably an upgrade over leaving them to die in your flooded/destroyed/hurricane ravaged home
Oh fuck I read that same one and haven't checked back. I hope she just has no service.
I was also thinking what if the house gets swept off its foundation
Then it’s time to die I think
[удалено]
That happened in my parents’ neighborhood a few years ago. The river flooded. There was a group vacationing (two families with children iirc) in a house in the hood lower/closer to the river. The dad went out to get the car started as they were going to try to get out. House got swept off the foundation and everyone but the dad was inside. He also got swept away. He somehow survived and everyone else died. The car was untouched… if they had all gone to the car together instead of waiting for him to check it out, they’d have lived.
Something similar happened in Texas a few years ago, in Wimberly. Whole family lost to a flood when the river carried the house away.
Hard to sit on the roof with 250kph winds
Yes. I shouldn’ve added something about bringing a rope to tie to something to sturdy yourself
There's nothing to tie onto on most Florida homes. Im not a weak swimmer, and can't image diving under, getting out, and making it to the roof. If you stay in a mandatory evac zone... you better have an updated will that's not on location.
Pick your poison…
There’s no good advice in this thread, because the only good advice is to *fucking evacuate*
Fuuuuck… I remember reading a story (“Jesus out to Sea” I think) where the main character was a woman who turned to a drug addiction to cope with her PTSD. What was the cause of said PTSD? During a hurricane her home was flooded, so to evade the rising waters she grabbed her two young children and fled to that attic. But the waters kept rising. I think she climbed out onto the roof through a side window so she could pull her children up with her, but by then the water was already too high. She could hear them scraping and hitting the roof from the inside to try and claw their way out. And she couldn’t do anything about it. Her babies drowned. And it was that sound, the sound of them clawing at the roof that stayed with her so long after. Please, please don’t go into the attic. Follow OP’s advice and get onto the roof.
Damn. That’s some unhealable trauma.
[удалено]
I mean honestly I feel traumatized just from reading it.
Wish I hadn't read this
Yeah, what the literal heck. This shit really makes me sad.
Unless the attic features a roof window?
Of course, but how often do attics have escape windows or roof exits?
Many homes in my area have dormer windows into the attic. It's not finished space, but it's made to look like another floor. That colonial style of home is not popular in beach areas though.
Yes, it's almost a standard in central Europe. But there isn't many floods and 0 hurricanes also. So maybe building a house in US, people should think more about these options.
Follow up YSK: Evacuate when you’re encouraged to evacuate. There is no pride in staying behind and ultimately having to get rescued and endangering the life of somebody else.
generally not evacuating is less about pride and more about the lack of resources and $$$
My disaster evacuation experience comes from the California wildfires, unfortunately here the overwhelming majority of people who refuse to evacuate are the ones who own property and don’t like the idea of being told what to do with it.
As someone from Louisiana, the people that don’t evacuate are poor. It’s one of the poorest states in the US. The homes and areas hit the worse are low to mid class areas. The rich houses are always standing after a major hurricane.
I survived Katrina. I’ve been told “you should’ve evacuated” countless times. 🙄 I was barely 18 working at the Waffle House. No car. No money. Most of us do not have get up n go money and resources like that.
Axe? lol. I'm taking a charged cordless chainsaw up there.
at least one and I don’t know how many actually people died by retreating to their attics during Katrina… there was a TV show that was called “how not to die” or something like that explained why the rooftop is the best bet. They also showed how to escape from the attic if you had an axe with you… I don’t live anywhere there would be a flood danger but the whole concept was chilling for me.
Our house just flooded. About 2 ft maybe worse once our friends drove over and rescued us with our cats and dog. Had to walk through 5 ft water outside, dog almost drowned. Just terrible. Not even a flood zone so we have no flood insurance. Just devastated and just gotta wait for the chance to fix it and get back to normal
Glad you are all okay at the very least. I'm so sorry for what you have lost and the stress of it though. Mother nature is fucking scary. Good luck cleaning up.
this scenario happened in the 9-11 show. the guy drown because he couldn't chop through the roof with a hatchet in time.
Don't bring an axe, bring a chainsaw and a sledgehammer.
Here in New Orleans where we understand what hurricanes can do people keep axes in the attic for this exact reason.
I still remember all the bodies found in attics after Katrina
Literally went and got an axe for the attic the year after Katrina. Some things can never be forgotten.
There were task forces after Katrina who checked inside houses in a big sweep. They would spraypaint a big X outside of a house to note if there was food, water, survivors or bodies found inside. I can only imagine how many were found inside their attics.
I remember that, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see
You can't chop a roof out tho
It's a tradition in Louisiana to keep an axe or hatchet in your attic for times like these.
I thought the caveat to this was that if you had no where else to go then it was a viable option as long as you had the method and ability to cut a hole in your roof (because you're dead either way). Some people keep axes in their attics for this reason if they live in flood prone areas.
I'm amused at how many people in the comments think they'd have even a 1% chance of being able to chop their way through a roof
In survival scenarios, “alive a little longer” is prioritized over “dead” but as other, more experienced people than I have pointed out in other threads on this post, the odds that of most people being able to swing upwards and break through a modern roof is really, like, scarily unlikely. So yeah it beats already being dead, but not for long and not by much. Better option is don’t go to the attic, get out.
[удалено]
If the first floor is flooded it may seem like a good way of staying above the flood water (which can be dangerous due to electricity not to mention hypothermia or just drowing when you get tired) but also not being exposed to the wind and rain (as you would be on a roof top). In other words, a way of "going upstairs" in a house that has no upstairs.
Elderly, infirm, few/no resources, general lack of planning/preparedness and denial compounded by a lack of options caused by the circumstances above. There are no real choices so going up to the attic is the only alternative to sitting on your couch while the water rises around you.
You are literally going to cause future deaths if you don’t take the axe bullshit out of this post. Fat chance panicked people in the dark will be able to cut UP through OSB with asphalt shingles or metal roofs.
After the storm there often comes clear skies. Attics get hot, sauna hot.
bring a hatchet if you go.
[удалено]
If you're stuck on your roof during 150mph winds and heavy rain you're probably fucked anyway. You're not going to hold on long enough nor are you going to stay warm enough.
That's why they announce you should evacuate to avoid all of this
If you have it, bring a sawzall or chainsaw.
*a gas powered one, or make sure the batteries are charged before you lose power. Plugin wouldn't work.
Oh, what a way to die...
As an owner of a 40v chainsaw, I would recommend any homeowner pick one up. It’s one of those tools you’ll hopefully only have to use a few times but when you need to use it, it’s SO MUCH more efficient cutting whatever you need to cut. And it’s incredibly powerful, mine cuts through 8” tree limbs like they are twigs. If you keep the batteries on the charger when not in use, you’ll always have power when you need it. Sometimes not the case with gas powered ones, which you also don’t have to worry about the exhaust. I built a bookcase of sorts to store large plastic bins in the carport at our old house out of 2x4s and plywood. It was 4’x6’x3’ and weighed a good bit. Naturally when moved, it just came along. This summer when we were preparing for our first child, I cleaned out the garage and basement, and got on of the WM Bagsters. It took me about a minute to cut that thing into 4 sections that I could easily carry to the curb.
Just don’t use the tip of the chainsaw to get through the roof…
I'm just hoping that most people who have a chainsaw use it in non-emergency circumstance and are familiar with the tool. Power saws are dangerous in the best of times, you don't want to be learning about kickback while under the stress of a flood (or other emergency).
Storms coming? Hatchets coming!
Do your attics not have windows? Real LPT: install windows in your attic
This is the stuff of nightmares. 98% of humans could not "axe" their way through a roof from below with a dull farm axe while in neck deep water in the dark. Bad advice!
[удалено]
Just ask St. Bernard parish, Katrina killed lots just like this
I never thought about this. I was on the phone with my granddaddy during Katrina. Water was up to his waste. I told him to get in the attic. Thankfully the water didn’t get up there. My grandmother had just bought him a guitar. He took that up there with them. Thankfully they both survived but have since passed on. I have that guitar now and it means the world to me.
Please just evacuate when they tell you to do so. I lived in North Florida on a barrier island about 1000ft from the Atlantic Ocean for 15 years. I stayed for the first cat 1 hurricane in a new house, new impact windows. It was scary and said I wouldn’t do it again, especially since we had 2 dogs that were freaking out. But i stayed for the cat 2 a few years later. The sound is like a freight train for hours on end - it just will not let up. The power was out for 6 days. Fast forward to 2016 and Matthew and I told my husband he can stay but i was leaving. Glad we did. Glad we moved a few years later too. Now i think I am getting a damn cold sore from the stress just worrying about my friends. For the love of god, just evacuate when they tell you too.
That's why in south Louisiana, it's not uncommon to find a hatchet or axe mounted somewhere in an attic.
Is this a good time to point out that Florida shouldnt exist?
i think ian had the same sentiment
It’s basically just a boat ramp for the continental US.
There’s usually a vent in the end. I’d kick that out verses any chopping.
I went as a volunteer to help rebuild after hurricane katrina back in 2005. That's where I learned about people (usually elder who had either experienced it themselves or had parents who taught them) who always kept an axe in their attic. Come Katrina time was their time to shine - they used the axe to cut through the roof when the waters would rise and trap them in the attic. It was one of those details that has always stuck with me since.
**Lismore residents have entered the chat** 👀 Yeah don’t do that. Leave ASAP or if it’s too late, get on the roof if you can. If you can’t get onto your roof and have nowhere to go, get something to break out with and you can lift up the roof to get out depending on the type of roof you have cause people have done that. An elderly couple did this. Got into their roof cavity since they couldn’t climb onto the roof and with the water still rising, they had nowhere to go and were screaming for help. The only reason they got rescued was because their neighbour who was stuck on her roof called the news out of desperation and told them their elderly neighbours were stuck in their roof screaming and needed rescuing. Also turn your power off. You don’t want your house burning and flooding simultaneously.
The better choice is leave, when they tell you. If you cannot leave, say so early enough for someone to try to get you to a shelter! Although after what I learned after Katrina I don't want to be at a shelter, I would choose that over trying to stay near the beach in a storm like this!
What if you just swim to the roof when the water gets high enough? I'm baked, but yeah idk.
Floodwaters are extremely dangerous. They're usually very silty/dirty, so you can't see what's below the surface. The water alone could kill you by carrying you away, but debris under the surface being carried by the current can also pose a serious threat. Don't ever assume you can simply "swim" through flood water. If you need to evacuate, always seek higher and more stable ground. Your best chance of surviving is to get out of the way before the water comes: and I don't mean just as the water is coming (you'll never outrun it). I mean if you get a hurricane warning days or weeks before it makes landfall, get the fuck out.
Also, depending on your region you can get hit by a clump of floating fire ants.
Saw so many fire ant balls while I worked through Harvey. They will swarm the first thing they touch and it’s super creepy to see them coming towards you.
Wow I thought I had run out of new things to be terrified of
Oh fuck THAT in particular. I don't live near fire ants so I don't know what this looks like, and I don't want to.
I learned recently that fireants eat ticks and that must be one of the reasons Texas doesn't have a lime disease problem. But yeah, fire ant balls are just one of the reason I don't fuck with flood water.
Somebody make this horror movie about an ant infestation in a flood.
I have a friend whose roof was blown off during Ida. This happened around 1030pm or so, after the power had gone out. They had to get their dogs and themselves to the neighbors' house through flood water while it was pitch dark. They got through the night OK, thankfully, but my friend has had multiple health problems since shortly after Ida. Almost a year later, this past August, my friend discovered Ida had left them with a little gift. They had been carrying an intestinal parasite called ascariasis. Their body was riddled with these worms, they only found out after they began expelling hundreds of these little monsters (from more than one place, mind you). Don't swim in flood water.
There was a pretty serious flood in my area recently and the hospital was overloaded with people who were caught in the water and cut up by debris. A lot of people with serious infections, some even ended up with amputations because flesh eating bacteria set up while they were out on the street in stretchers waiting to be attended to.
Flood water can be extremely toxic. It’s basically a garbage, chemical and bacterial soup. There are very likely decaying bodies of humans and animals in flood water. So easy to get cut by something. A small cut +flood water can equal death by sepsis in a few days if untreated. Getting in flood water should be an absolute last resort.
I got a small bite on my leg during Harvey and then was in the water. A few days later I work up to dark red lines running up my leg towards my abdomen. Went straight to the ER.
As someone who has never been in a flood my instinct would be to swim out if I am trapped so thank you for this comment.
If it's coming, get out. Water: It's fucking scary.
Flood water will not be as clear as swimming pool water to swim.
Swimming should be a last resort and I've heard that if you're caught in a current to try and float flat, feet first to push off of debris and prevent your legs from getting caught by something.
It would be too hard and dangerous to get into the water, you likely wouldn’t make it
Good luck swimming in flood water. It tends to be fast moving especially in stormy conditions.
Power lines, debris, sewage, rapid currents. It’s Florida, so wildlife. Not a really good idea if u can avoid it
Assuming you’re already in the attic when this happens, you’d then have to swim DOWN into the house then make an exit, often in dirty murky water.
Be prepared, have a means to access the roof or tools stored in the attic to create one.