text size: small medium large FLOODS can be slow to happen when water drains into rivers, or they can happen in a flash when heavy thunderstorms overwhelm our landscape. Floods also happen along the coast when a hurricane storm surge raises water levels or when high winds from the Gulf push the water onshore.
If
you live in a low lying area or a community that has flooded in the past
you must be prepared for flooding again. Even people who live in areas
where the terrain is flat have to be cautious. Flash flooding is a rapid
flood caused by thunderstorms that drop a lot of rain in one spot or into
an area where all the water drains to one spot.
When
powerful thunderstorms produce intense rains sometimes a Flash Flood Watch
will be issued by the National Weather Service. The Watch means that flooding
is possible. At News 5 we let you know by displaying a map in the corner
of the screen with the counties in the Watch. If the situation worsens
then a Flash Flood Warning is issued for specific counties or areas.
In
flash flooding you must not try to drive through water that is moving across
roads. You have no way of knowing how deep it is or how fast it is moving.
As little as two feet of moving water can lift a car and push it into deeper
water where you can drown. The rule when you see deep water is turn around,
don't drown. There's a whole
lot more on this from the National Weather Service. According to NOAA
more than half of all flood deaths happen when people try to drive through
flooded roadways.
When people become trapped it is important to get professional help to rescue them. Even a strong swimmer cannot swim against swiftly moving water.
River Flooding is a slow process to occur and it's also a slow process to end. Check here for realtime river stages and forecasts or check the USGS river webpage or find additional river information at Americanwhitewater.org
Flash flooding is extremely dangerous at night because it is difficult for motorists to see water in roadways as well as to determine if the road has been washed away. There is now an annual Flood Safety Week where we all pay extra attention to the dangers of deep moving water.
How much do you know about floods and other severe weather? Check out these links to storm safety information.
