...TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS APRIL 18-22...
...TODAY/S TOPIC IS... PART 2... FLASH FLOODS...
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IN THE PAST 30 YEARS...FLOODING HAS TYPICALLY BEEN THE NUMBER ONE
THUNDERSTORM-RELATED KILLER IN THE UNITED STATES. THE NUMBER OF
FLOOD-RELATED DEATHS GOES UP AND DOWN EACH YEAR...HOWEVER THE
TREND HAS BEEN DOWN. FOR THE PERIOD OF 1973-2002...THERE WAS AN
AVERAGE OF 110 FATALITIES EACH YEAR DUE TO THE DIRECT RESULTS OF
FLASH FLOODING AND FLOOD EVENTS ACROSS THE USA.

...HOW FLASH FLOODS FORM AND WHAT THEY CAN DO...
FLASH FLOODS CAN OCCUR AS THE RESULT OF HEAVY RAINS FALLING OVER A
RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...USUALLY ONLY A FEW HOURS OR LESS.
THEY CAN  ALSO BE CAUSED BY ICE JAMS ON RIVERS OR EVEN A DAM OR LEVEE
BREAK.  THE SUDDEN BUILDUP OF WATER CAN CAUSE A LARGE CREST OF WATER
TO MOVE QUICKLY DOWNSTREAM WIPING OUT MOST EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH.
FLASH FLOODS ARE CAPABLE OF ROLLING BOULDERS...TEARING OUT TREES AND
DESTROYING BUILDINGS QUICKLY WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

FLOODING IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND WIDESPREAD OF ALL
NATURAL DISASTERS.  THEY CAN OCCUR ANYWHERE...AND WISCONSIN IS
CERTAINLY NOT IMMUNE FROM THIS TYPE OF DISASTER.

WISCONSIN HAS MANY LANDMARKS...BOTH MAN-MADE AND NATURAL THAT MAKE
THESE AREAS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING.  FOR INSTANCE...
WISCONSIN HAS MANY OLD EARTHEN DAMS WHICH ARE GETTING WEAKER EVERY
YEAR.  IF ONE OF THESE DAMS WERE TO BREAK...THE AREAS AROUND THEM
WOULD BE THREATENED BY FLASH FLOODING. FOR SAFETY/S SAKE FIND OUT IF
THERE IS AN EARTHEN DAM IN YOUR AREA.

FLASH FLOODING DUE TO ICE JAMS IS VERY COMMON IN WISCONSIN SINCE
WISCONSIN USUALLY HAS LONG AND COLD WINTERS...AND RIVERS ALMOST
ALWAYS FREEZE OVER.  A SUDDEN WALL OF WATER RELEASED WHEN AN ICE JAM
BREAKS DURING A THAW...CAN BE EXTREMELY UNPREDICTABLE AND CAN HAPPEN
VERY QUICKLY. ALWAYS MONITOR THE SITUATION IN YOUR LOCAL AREA.

....TURN AROUND...DON/T DROWN...
FLASH FLOODS KILL DOZENS OF PEOPLE IN THEIR VEHICLES EACH YEAR.  AS
LITTLE AS SIX INCHES OF FAST-MOVING WATER CAN MOVE YOUR VEHICLE AND
TWO FEET OF WATER IS ENOUGH TO FLOAT YOUR VEHICLE.  AVOID FLOODED
BRIDGES AND NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.  TURN AROUND...
DON/T DROWN.  BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO
RECOGNIZE FLOOD DANGERS.

WHEN A FLASH FLOOD IS HEADED YOUR WAY...YOU MAY ONLY HAVE SECONDS TO
SAVE YOUR LIFE. ABANDON ALL PERSONAL PROPERTY AND FLEE TO HIGHER
GROUND IF A FLASH FLOOD IS APPROACHING. ANY DELAY...EVEN FOR A
SECOND...COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.

...FLASH FLOOD WATCHES...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN A LOCALITY PRONE TO FLASH
FLOODING IS THREATENED BY VERY HEAVY RAINS.  DURING A WATCH...
RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SIGNS OF RISING WATER. BE PREPARED TO
FLEE TO HIGHER GROUND AT A MOMENT/S NOTICE.  IT IS POSSIBLE THAT
THERE WILL BE NO TIME FOR AN ADDITIONAL WARNING.

...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHEN A
FLASH FLOOD IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT IN A SPECIFIC LOCALITY.  WHEN
A WARNING IS ISSUED GET OUT OF THE DANGER AREA AND TO HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY.

...A FEW WORDS FOR CAMPERS...
CAMPERS...IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO SET UP CAMP NEAR A STREAM BE SURE TO
PLACE YOUR CAMP WELL ABOVE THE STREAM LEVEL.  IT IS ALSO A GOOD IDEA
TO PLAN AN ESCAPE ROUTE IN ADVANCE SHOULD A FLOOD OCCUR.  IF YOU ARE
IN A STEEP VALLEY OR CANYON DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN THE FLOOD...LEAVE
YOUR EQUIPMENT AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND CLIMB TO HIGHER GROUND.

...BEING ALERT FOR FLASH FLOODS...
MOST IMPORTANTLY ALWAYS MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN YOUR AREA.
IF FLASH FLOODING IS A THREAT WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED...STAY TUNED TO
YOUR LOCAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST INFORMATION ON WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN YOUR AREA.

...ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOOD INFORMATION...
FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION AND UP TO DATE FORECASTS
AND WARNINGS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT:
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/MKX/

$$
KAPELA/KONOP