Expected and Unexpected Risks for Canoe Travel in Flood Conditions.

Flood conditions present dangers for canoe camping, with the highest risk for injury or death related to water submersion of paddlers. Other hazards can exist at high water stages as well. This essay discusses preparation for risks associated with canoe travel during record flood conditions in Alabama's Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. It examines the unique aspects of paddling through submerged forests, route detours necessitated by flooding, potential encounters with dangerous wildlife, and the case of a stinging ant attack on a paddler who unexpectedly comes in contact with a displaced ant colony.