000 NOUS44 KLZK 111104 PNSLZK ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-111900- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 600 AM CDT SUN MAR 11 2012 ...FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK 2012 BEGINS ON MONDAY... FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 12TH THROUGH THE 16TH. THIS WEEK IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT HIGH WATER AND ITS DANGERS. LOOKING AT TEN AND THIRTY YEAR AVERAGES...FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS CLAIM MORE LIVES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAN TORNADOES AND LIGHTNING. IN ARKANSAS...THERE HAVE BEEN 40 FLOOD RELATED FATALITIES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IN 2011...THERE WERE 18 HIGH WATER FATALITIES ACROSS THE STATE... MOSTLY IN APRIL AND MAY. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE OCCURRED WHEN PEOPLE DROVE VEHICLES INTO FLOODED AREAS. IN 2010...22 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES...INCLUDING 20 DEATHS AT THE ALBERT PIKE RECREATION AREA IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY ON JUNE 11TH. THE ALBERT PIKE TRAGEDY OCCURRED WHEN 6 TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN FELL BEFORE DAWN WHILE CAMPERS SLEPT. THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER...WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE AREA...CLIMBED 20 FEET IN JUST A FEW HOURS. CAMPERS AWOKE TO RAPIDLY RISING WATER...AND SOME WERE SWEPT DOWNSTREAM. NATIONWIDE...ROUGHLY HALF OF ALL FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. IT ONLY TAKES SIX INCHES OF RUSHING WATER TO CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES. THIS INCLUDES PICKUPS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES... WHICH ARE HEAVIER BUT HAVE MORE SURFACE AREA FOR THE WATER TO PUSH. IT IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE DEPTH OF THE WATER...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. IN MANY CASES...BARRICADES WILL BE PLACED WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD...AND MOTORISTS WILL RISK GOING AROUND THE BARRICADES TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS A SIMPLE SLOGAN THAT ADVISES MOTORISTS TO PLAY IT SAFE WHEN A FLOODED ROAD IS ENCOUNTERED. THAT SLOGAN IS...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN. THIS SLOGAN IS ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WILL BE COVERED DURING THE UPCOMING WEEK. THE TOPICS INCLUDE... (1) THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ (2) TURN AROUND DONT DROWN /TADD/ (3) FLOODING AND RELATED PHENOMENA (4) FLOOD RISK AND INSURANCE (5) FLOOD SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS THE TOPICS CAN BE FOUND ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK WEBSITE AT... WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LZK/?N=FLOODSAFETY.HTM THE FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEBSITE ALSO ADDRESSES THE TOPICS...AND HAS MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON THE DANGERS OF FLOODING...AS WELL AS STATISTICS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL. THE WEBSITE IS HERE... WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY $$ FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT... SERVICE HYDROLOGIST TABITHA CLARKE SR-LZK.RIVER@NOAA.GOV 501-834-0308