PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
300 PM CST THU FEB 28 2008

...CONTINUING SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN TEXAS... 

...THE DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODING...

EARLIER TODAY...WE DISCUSSED AN IMPORTANT FLASH FLOOD SAFETY PROGRAM – TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN. AS PART 
OF SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN THE STATE OF TEXAS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WANTS YOU TO KNOW 
ABOUT THE DANGERS OF THE NUMBER ONE STORM KILLER - FLASH FLOODING.    

FEW PEOPLE REALIZE THE TRUE POWER OF WATER. FAST-MOVING FLOOD WATERS ONLY SIX INCHES DEEP CAN KNOCK AN 
ADULT OFF THEIR FEET. TWO FEET OF WATER CAN LIFT APPROXIMATELY 3000 POUNDS - THE WEIGHT OF AN AVERAGE 
SIZE VEHICLE. VEHICLES CROSSING A FLOODED ROADWAY CAN LOOSE TRACTION WITH THE ROAD...ACTUALLY FLOATING 
IN SOME CASES...AND BECOME PART OF A DANGEROUS FLOOD. FLASH FLOOD STATISTICS INDICATE THAT HALF OF THE 
ANNUAL FLOOD FATALITIES ARE VEHICLE RELATED. AGAIN...TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN. 

A FLASH FLOOD IS A RAPID RISE OF WATER ALONG A STREAM OR LOW-LYING URBAN AREA. SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS...
THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVE REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME AREA...AND HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORMS AND
HURRICANES ARE THE WEATHER MAKERS THAT PRODUCE FLASH FLOODS. THESE FLOODS CAN DEVELOP WITHIN MINUTES...
DEPENDING ON THE INTENSITY AND DURATION OF THE RAIN...THE TOPOGRAPHY...THE SOIL CONDITIONS AND GROUND 
COVER.

FLASH FLOODS CAN ROLL BOULDERS...TEAR DOWN TREES...DESTROY BUILDINGS AND SCOUR OUT NEW CHANNELS. RAPIDLY 
RISING WATER CAN REACH HEIGHTS OF 30 FEET OR MORE. WATER CAN ERODE EARTH BELOW A ROAD...LEADING TO UNSAFE 
DRIVING CONDITIONS. UNDERPASSES CAN FILL RAPIDLY WITH WATER...WHILE ADJACENT ROADWAYS REMAIN CLEAR. IN 
URBAN AREAS...STORM DRAINS CAN BECOME OVERWHELMED AND FLOOD ROADS AND BUILDINGS. LOW SPOTS SUCH AS 
UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGES AND BASEMENTS CAN QUICKLY FLOOD. IN RURAL AREAS...PEOPLE WHO ENJOY HUNTING...
CAMPING AND FISHING NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM STREAMS IF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE OCCURRED. WATER CAN RISE OVER 
TEN FEET IN LESS THAN AN HOUR WITH A HEAVY RAINFALL.

SO HOW CAN WE STAY SAFE FROM THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FLASH FLOODING?

MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLASH 
FLOODING. AVOID LOW LYING AREAS THAT ARE PRONE TO FLOODING. DO NOT CAMP OR PARK YOUR VEHICLE ALONG 
STREAMS AND WASHES. IF YOUR VEHICLE IS SUDDENLY CAUGHT IN RISING WATER...LEAVE IT IMMEDIATELY AND MOVE TO 
SAFETY RULE OF FLASH FLOODING...TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLASH FLOODING...CALL YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE...OR VISIT 
THEM AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV ON THE INTERNET.