Flood Awareness Week

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
800 AM EDT FRI MAR 22 2013

NATIONAL FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK, DAY FIVE.

FLOOD SAFETY.

IS FLOODING REALLY THAT BIG OF A DEAL?

FLOODING CAUSES MORE DAMAGE IN THE UNITED STATES THAN ANY OTHER
WEATHER RELATED EVENT, AN AVERAGE OF 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR
IN THE PAST TWENTY YEARS. FLOOD CAN OCCUR IN ANY OF THE 50 STATES
OR U.S. TERRITORIES AT ANYTIME OF THE YEAR.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF I AM IN DANGER FROM A FLOOD?

THE NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS
TO RECEIVE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NOAA
ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO IS A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF RADIO STATIONS
BROADCASTING CONTINUOUS WEATHER AND RIVER INFORMATION DIRECT FROM 
NEARBY NWS OFFICES. ALSO, THE NWS WEB PAGE, WWW.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS, 
IDENTIFIES WHERE FLOODING IS OCCURRING.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FLOOD AND A FLASH FLOOD?

A FLOOD OCCURS WHEN THERE IS PROLONGED RAINFALL OVER SEVERAL DAYS, 
INTENSE RAINFALL OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME OR AN ICE OR DEBRIS JAM 
CAUSING A RIVER OR STREAM TO OVERFLOW AND FLOOD THE SURROUNDING 
AREA. MELTING SNOW CAN COMBINE WITH RAIN IN THE WINTER AND EARLY 
SPRING; SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BRING HEAVY RAIN IN THE SPRING AND 
SUMMER; OR TROPICAL CYCLONES CAN BRING INTENSE RAINFALL TO COASTAL 
AND INLAND STATES IN THE SUMMER AND FALL.

A FLASH FLOOD OCCURS WITHIN SIX HOURS OF A RAIN EVENT, OR AFTER
A DAM OR LEVEE FAILURE, OR FOLLOWING A SUDDEN RELEASE OF WATER HELD
BY AN ICE OR DEBRIS JAM. FLASH FLOODS CAN CATCH PEOPLE UNPREPARED.
YOU WILL NOT ALWAYS HAVE A WARNING THAT THESE DEADLY, SUDDEN FLOODS 
ARE COMING.  SO, IF YOU LIVE IN AREAS PRONE TO FLASH FLOODS, PLAN 
NOW TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND PROPERTY. THE USE OF THE WORD FLASH 
IN SYNONYMOUS WITH THE WORD URGENT; TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR A FLOOD?

HOW TO REDUCE POTENTIAL FLOOD DAMAGE AND WHAT TO INCLUDE IN A FAMILY
DISASTER PLAN CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WORKS WITH AND RELIES ON STRATEGIC
PARTNERS INVOLVED IN FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT, FLOOD HAZARD MITIGATION,
FLOOD PREPAREDNESS, AND FLOOD WARNINGS TO REDUCE THE LOSS OF LIFE AND
PROPERTY DUE TO FLOODS.  KEY PARTNERS INCLUDE THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL 
SURVEY, FEMA, THE NATIONAL HYDROLOGIC WARNING COUNCIL, THE 
ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOOD PLAIN MANAGERS, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, 
THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, THE FEDERAL ALLIANCE FOR SAFE HOMES, 
THE WEATHER CHANNEL AND OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS, AND MANY OTHER 
GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS.

THERE ARE MANY WEBSITES THAT ONE CAN VISIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
FLOODING AND FLOOD SAFETY.

&&

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITES...

ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE...

HTTP://WATER.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOME PAGE...

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV

NWS MOBILE...

HTTP://MOBILE.WEATHER.GOV

NWS FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS...

HTTP://WWW.FLOODSAFETY.NOAA.GOV

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...

HTTP://NHC.NOAA.GOV

NWS MARINE AND COASTAL SERVICES...

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/MARINE/MARINE.SHTML

NWS WEATHER READY NATION...

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/COM/WEATHERREADYNATION

BE A FORCE OF NATURE...

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/COM/WEATHERREADYNATION/FORCE.HTML

TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN...

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/FLOODSAFETY/TADD.SHTML


NOAA...

HTTP://WWW.NOAA.GOV


PARTNER AGENCIES...

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY...

HTTP://WWW.FEMA.GOV

FEMA MAP SERVICE CENTER FOR FLOOD MAPS 
FOR THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM...

HTTPS://MSC.FEMA.GOV

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM...

HTTP://WWW.FLOODSMART.GOV/FLOODSMART/

UNITED STATES ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS...

HTTP://WWW.USACE.ARMY.MIL

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY...

HTTP://WWW.USGS.GOV

AMERICAN RED CROSS...

HTTP://WWW.REDCROSS.ORG/

$$

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT NATIONAL FLOOD AWARENESS 
WEEK PLEASE CONTACT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
2909 AVIATION WAY
WEST COLUMBIA SC 29170
PHONE: 803-822-8135
INTERNET ADDRESS CAEWX@NOAA.GOV

LAMBERTY