SEAL Survival Guide (41 page)
Read SEAL Survival Guide Online
Authors: Cade Courtley
Cover your mouth and nose with a moistened cloth.
If trapped by flames in a room with a window and the window does not open fully, smash glass in the center with an object and cover jagged ends around the frame with a towel or blanket before exiting.
If evacuation is blocked by flames while on an upper floor, tie bedsheets together and fasten to a firm object, such as a bed leg. If the distance to the ground is more than twenty feet, attempt to use something to decrease the distance.
If you must jump, use the parachute landing fall, or PLF, method. Lower yourself as far as possible while holding on to the window frame or the makeshift rope from bedsheets, and then push off from the wall. Keep your legs slightly bent, with your knees and feet together. If holding onto a rope or ledge, your arms will be raised at first; after you let go, bring both of yours hands in front of your body with your fists close to your face. Roll sideways as you land. This spreads the landing impact throughout the body.
Trust me when I say PLF works. On my fifth jump at Airborne Jump School, I exited the aircraft and looked up to see a nice hole in my canopy. Now, the rule was anything larger than your helmet and you need to ditch the parachute and go for your reserve. Okay—the unwritten rule is the reserves don’t work very well, so I decided to ride it in “as is.” Well, I hit the ground like a bag of shit and even cracked my hip but was able to limp away, thanks to the old PLF.
BTW—round chutes suck, unless you are landing in water.
Get away from the burning structure and head toward the preestablished regrouping area.
FLASH FLOOD, FLOODING, AND TSUNAMI
An unexpected surge of flowing water—that’s the simplest way to describe a flash flood. In the U.S., flooding is the number one cause of weather-related deaths. Sudden and heavy rainfall (especially during tropical storms or hurricanes), melting snow, or dam breaches and water pipe breaks are common causes of flash flooding. The source of the flash flood could be miles away, but water does what it always does and seeks lower-lying ground.
For example, Colorado’s Big Thompson Canyon flash flood of 1976 was due to a severe thunderstorm higher up in the canyon. Twelve inches of rain fell in less than four hours. The victims, including 143 dead, had seen little or no rain when the flood rushed down the canyon in a wall of water twenty feet high. Water is a powerful element, weighing 8.3 pounds per gallon, and when moving at flood speed, it sweeps away cars and trucks, demolishes houses and other buildings, ruins roadways, and collapses bridges. Against such a force, evasion is the first course of defense.
In the spring of 2010, an Atlanta woman was driving home during a light rain. Even though the soil surrounding Atlanta’s normally hilly roadways was saturated, no flood warnings had been issued. While crossing a small bridge over a creek, the woman’s car was suddenly hit by the headwaters of a flash flood. Her car was instantly carried away and tumbled along for miles, without allowing her an opportunity to escape.
During a Flood
Certain areas are prone to floods, such as communities surrounding rivers and lakes, and those at low elevations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have maps showing likely flood areas. These should be consulted as part of preparing your dwelling for all possible hazards. In a flood event, the following actions are necessary: