2005 TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN^® Campaign Launched
in Texas

FLASH President Leslie Chapman-Henderson addresses media and guests at TADD kickoff in Dallas (Photo by Ron Trumbla)

Through a grant provided by the Allstate Foundation, FLASH® and the National Weather Service are expanding the Turn Around -- Don't Drown campaign in Texas. Motorists are being reached through outdoor billboards driving home the flood safety message in the Austin, Dallas, Forth Worth, Houston and San Antonio areas.

The billboard campaign partners include Allstate Foundation, FLASH, THE National Weather Service and Southwestern Insurance Information Service (SIIS). Other campaign elements include radio and television public service announcements, distribution of Turn Around Don't Drown decals to city emergency vehicles and flood safety information "flash cards" provided to Allstate agents in Texas.

Working in conjunction with the Texas State Parks and Wildlife Division, the Turn Around -- Don't Drown message will also be delivered to more than 100,000 families visiting the State Parks system this season through distribution of informative flood safety flash cards. Flash cards and an animated presentation have also been provided to 500 Texas Education Agency's (TEA) In-School Driver Education and Traffic Safety Unit class participants.

According to records from the National Climatic Data Center, Texans experienced 40.04 inches of rainfall in 2004 - an increase of nearly 12 inches over the state's previous ten-year average. During this unusually wet year, flooding events exceeded 900, more than doubling the ten-year average of 450 events per year. NWS Weather Forecast Offices in Texas issued almost 2,100 Flash Flood Warnings for the year; again more than double their 10-year average of 903.

"Despite the dramatic increase in rainfall, flood events and warnings during 2004, flood-related fatalities in Texas held at the previous 10 year average of 15," said Bill Proenza, director, National Weather Service Southern Region. "It is our hope that people will continue to heed the warnings and listen to the flood safety messages from Turn Around Don't Drown to help decrease the number of flood-related fatalities."

Flash flooding, river and inland flooding can cause death, injury and property destruction. As little as six inches of moving water can sweep someone off their feet and 24 inches can float most vehicles, even SUV's. Flooding is the nation's leading storm-related killer and NWS Storm Data records indicate that 80 percent of flood-related deaths occur when people chose to walk or drive into moving water.