National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

...FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD SAFETY... 

IN COLORADO...THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF FLOODING. WHEN THE SNOW BEGINS TO
MELT IN THE HIGH COUNTRY...RIVERS BEGIN TO RISE. FLOODING ALONG RIVERS AND STREAMS
CAN OCCUR WITH A VERY RAPID SNOW MELT...OR FROM THUNDERSTORM RAINS COMBINING WITH
THE RUNOFF FROM MELTING SNOW.    

A FLASH FLOOD REFERS TO A DANGEROUS SUDDEN RISE IN WATER ALONG A CREEK...WASH...
RIVER...OR OVER A NORMALLY DRY LAND AREA.  FLASH FLOODS RESULT FROM HEAVY 
RAINFALL...RIVER ICE JAMS...AND DAM OR LEVEE FAILURES. FLASH FLOODS CAN OCCUR
WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OR HOURS...AND CAN MOVE AT SURPRISINGLY HIGH SPEEDS...
STRIKING WITH LITTLE WARNING.   FLASH FLOODS ARE QUITE DESTRUCTIVE BECAUSE OF 
THE FORCE OF THE MOVING WATER...AND THE DEBRIS THAT ACCUMULATES IN FLOOD WATERS
...SUCH AS TREES AND BOULDERS... WHICH CAN DESTROY ROADWAYS...BRIDGES AND 
BUILDINGS. RAIN WEAKENED SOILS CAN ALSO RESULT IN MUD SLIDES CAPABLE OF CLOSING
ROADWAYS. COLORADO IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING...AND FLASH FLOODS 
OCCUR AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE STATE EVERY YEAR. 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL DISCUSS FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL IN DAILY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS. ON DAYS WITH A HIGH THREAT FOR FLOODING YOU MAY 
HEAR... 

A FLASH FLOOD OR FLOOD WATCH...WHICH MEANS THAT FLASH FLOODING OR FLOODING IS 
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. YOU SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY TO EVACUATE 
WITHIN A SHORT TIME.

A FLOOD WARNING...WHICH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED ALONG
A RIVER. WHEN A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT PROPERTY.   

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING...WHICH MEANS THAT FLASH FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED OR IS 
IMMINENT. WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA...ACT QUICKLY. IF 
ADVISED TO EVACUATE...DO SO IMMEDIATELY.  GO TO HIGHER GROUND OR CLIMB TO SAFETY
BEFORE ACCESS IS CUT OFF BY FLOOD WATERS.

YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS HAVE A WARNING THAT THESE DEADLY SUDDEN FLOODS ARE COMING...SO
YOU NEED TO KNOW SOME BASIC FLASH FLOOD SAFETY RULES...

DO NOT CAMP OR PARK YOUR VEHICLE ALONG CREEKS AND WASHES...ESPECIALLY DURING 
THREATENING CONDITIONS.

IF YOU ARE NEAR A RIVER...BE AWARE OF WATER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO GO TO HIGHER
GROUND IF RIVER LEVELS RISE.

DO NOT ENTER AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY FLOODED.

DO NOT TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING CREEK ON FOOT WHEN THE WATER IS AT OR ABOVE YOUR 
KNEES.

IF WALKING OR FISHING ALONG A RIVER...BE AWARE THAT EROSION FROM SWIFT FLOWING
WATER CAN CAUSE RIVER BANKS TO COLLAPSE. 

NEVER ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY AROUND HIGH WATER...STORM DRAINS...VIADUCTS...OR 
ARROYOS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS MORE DIFFUCULT TO SEE FLOOD DANGERS.

NEARLY HALF OF ALL FLASH FLOOD FATALITIES ARE VEHICLE RELATED. IF YOU ENCOUNTER A 
FLOODED ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN. ONE TO TWO FEET OF WATER WILL CARRY 
AWAY MOST VEHICLES. YOU ALSO CANNOT TELL IF THE ROAD IS DAMAGED BENEATH THE WATER.
MORE INFORMATION ON FLASH FLOOD SAFETY IS AVAILABLE AT HTTP://TADD.WEATHER.GOV

DURING FLASH FLOOD SEASON...AND YEAR ROUND...KEEP TRACK OF THE LATEST WEATHER 
INFORMATION. YOU CAN RECEIVE THE LATEST FORECASTS AND IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION OF 
WARNINGS ON NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO...OR CHECK CURRENT FORECASTS... 
WATCHES...AND WARNINGS ON THE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV

SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH THIS SATURDAY. 

PREVIOUS DAYS:

• SUNDAY - INTRODUCTION TO SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK
• MONDAY - WATCHES AND WARNINGS
• TUESDAY - TORNADOES