Public Information Statement

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
500 AM CST THU FEB 22 2007

...TODAY IS FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD AWARENESS DAY....

SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES TODAY WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT
FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD SAFETY. ALABAMA RESIDENTS FALL VICTIM TO THESE
DANGEROUS PHENOMENA EACH YEAR. GENERAL RIVER FLOODING OCCURS WHEN
HEAVY RAINS AND RUNOFF FILL RIVER BASINS WITH TOO MUCH WATER TOO
QUICKLY. FLASH FLOODS OCCUR SUDDENLY AND USUALLY WITHIN HOURS OF
EXCESSIVE LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL. THESE FLASH FLOODS CAN BECOME
RAGING TORRENTS...RIPPING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS...STREETS...OR
VALLEYS DESTROYING WHATEVER IS IN THEIR PATHS.

WHEN CONDITIONS LOOK FAVORABLE FOR FLASH FLOODING...THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH HIGHLIGHTING FLASH FLOOD
POTENTIAL IN AND AROUND THE SPECIFIED AREA. STAY WEATHER ALERT BY
LISTENING TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS OR TO LOCAL
BROADCAST MEDIA FOR FURTHER WEATHER UPDATES. THIS IS THE TIME TO
START THINKING ABOUT YOUR PLAN OF ACTION IF WATER BEGINS TO RISE OR A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.

WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR COUNTY YOU MUST ACT
QUICKLY AS FLASH FLOODS ARE AN IMMINENT THREAT TO YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY. YOU MAY ONLY HAVE SECONDS TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

HERE ARE SOME FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD SAFETY RULES...

DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINS...STAY AWAY FROM KNOWN FLOOD AREAS SUCH
AS STREAM BEDS...DRAINAGE DITCHES...AND CULVERTS. MOVE TO HIGHER
GROUND IF FLOODING THREATENS YOUR AREA. HEAVY RAIN SHOULD BE A SIGNAL
TO ALERTING YOU TO THE POSSIBILITY OF DANGEROUS FLOOD CONDITIONS. IF
YOU LIVE OR WORK IN KNOWN FLOOD PRONE AREAS...REMAIN ALERT DURING
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN.

NEVER DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. MOST FLASH FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR WHEN PEOPLE DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES INTO FLOOD WATERS.
JUST REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS...
ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND. FLOOD WATER MAY RISE
VERY QUICKLY AND COULD COVER THE VEHICLE AND SWEEP IT AWAY. BE
ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT AS IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE FLOOD
DANGERS.

STAY OUT OF FLOODED AREAS. THE WATER MAY STILL BE RISING AND IT IS
USUALLY VERY SWIFT. A RAPIDLY FLOWING STREAM OR DITCH CAN SWEEP YOU
OFF YOUR FEET OR SWEEP YOUR VEHICLE DOWNSTREAM. CHILDREN ARE
ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN OR AROUND
FLOWING WATER. WATER CAN ALSO RUN OFF STREETS AND PARKING LOTS VERY
RAPIDLY...CAUSING NATURAL AND MAN MADE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS TO OVERFLOW
WITH RUSHING FLOOD WATERS. FLOOD WATERS CAN HIDE ROCKS...TREES...
TRASH...AND OTHER TYPES OF DEBRIS THAT CAN BE DANGEROUS TO SOMEONE IN
THEIR PATHS. WATER IS A VERY POWERFUL FORCE AND SHOULD NEVER BE
UNDERESTIMATED.

TOMORROW...FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23...WE WILL HIGHLIGHT NOAA WEATHER RADIO
ALL HAZARDS AND THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. FOR ADDITIONAL
DETAILS...VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BMX...OR
CONTACT JIM STEFKOVICH...METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE...NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE BIRMINGHAM...AT 205-664-3010...EXTENSION 2 2 2.

$$

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