[MTHOLLYSVRWX] Public Information Statement : PHI@ 3/2/2011 7:15:04 AM

[svrwx at wx3i.net]

NOUS41 KPHI 021210
PNSPHI
PAZ054-055-060>062-067>071-030000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
710 AM EST WED MAR 2 2011

...PENNSYLVANIA WEATHER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK...

GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT HAS DECLARED THIS WEEK...FEBRUARY 27TH THROUGH 
MARCH 5TH...AS WEATHER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN PENNSYLVANIA. 

THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK WE ARE COVERING VARIOUS TOPICS RELATED TO
SEVERE WEATHER AND WEATHER SAFETY.

OUR TOPIC FOR TODAY IS...FLASH FLOODING AND FLASH FLOOD SAFETY. 

MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY FLASH FLOODS THAN BY OTHER STORM-RELATED 
WEATHER HAZARDS.  UNFORTUNATELY...MOST PEOPLE SUCCUMB TO FLOODING 
AFTER THEY DRIVE THEIR AUTOMOBILES INTO FLOODED ROADWAYS AND ARE 
SUBSEQUENTLY SWEPT AWAY TO THEIR DEATHS.  IF YOU ENCOUNTER A 
FLOODED ROADWAY...TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN!  FIND ANOTHER ROUTE...
IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!  TOO MANY PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIVES BY NOT 
ADHERING TO THIS SIMPLE RULE...
TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN! 

WHAT IS A FLASH FLOOD?
A FLASH FLOOD IS A RAPID FLOOD.  
A STREAM OR CREEK WILL RISE RAPIDLY AND CREST GENERALLY WITHIN A 
FEW HOURS.  THAT IS WHY THEY ARE SO DANGEROUS.  THE WATERS RISE SO 
FAST THAT THEY CAN CATCH PEOPLE OFF GUARD AND TRAP THEM IN 
PRECARIOUS SITUATIONS.  THIS IS WHY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
CONSTANTLY MONITORS RAINFALL AS WELL AS RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS 
USING GAUGES AND SPOTTERS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE 
FLASH FLOOD WATCHES AND WARNINGS TO HELP ALERT YOU TO SUCH DANGERS. 

WHAT CAUSES FLASH FLOODS?
FLASH FLOODS ARE CAUSED WHEN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...USUALLY FROM
SLOW-MOVING THUNDERSTORMS...OVERWHELMS THE NATURAL OR MAN-MADE 
DRAINAGE SYSTEMS.  THIS CAUSES THE WATER TO OVERFLOW AND FLOOD.  
STREAMS...CREEKS AND SMALLER RIVERS ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO FLASH 
FLOODING.  FLASH FLOODING OCCURS IN URBAN AREAS AS WELL AS IN 
RURAL AREAS.

WHAT DOES A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEAN?
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR FLASH
FLOODING TO OCCUR ON ANY STREAM...CREEK OR SMALL RIVER.  THE WATCH
DOES NOT MEAN THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.  IT JUST MEANS
THAT IT IS A POSSIBILITY.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ISSUED...
BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION TO PROTECT YOURSELF BY MOVING TO
HIGHER GROUND IF YOU ARE NEAR A WATERWAY.  WATCH WATER LEVELS
CAREFULLY AND BE READY AT A MOMENTS NOTICE TO EVACUATE.  IF YOU ARE
TRAVELING DURING A FLASH FLOOD WATCH...BE ALERT FOR SIGNS OF FLASH
FLOODING...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT WHEN IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO SEE A
FLOODED ROADWAY.  BE VERY CAREFUL IF DRIVING THROUGH FLOOD PRONE
AREAS...AND IF YOU ENCOUNTER A FLOODED ROADWAY...TURN AROUND...DON'T
DROWN.  FIND AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.  IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

WHAT DOES A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEAN?
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS RAPID LIFE-THREATENING FLOODING IS 
OCCURRING...OR WILL SOON BEGIN.  THIS IS USUALLY DUE TO TOO MUCH 
RAIN IN TOO SHORT A PERIOD OF TIME...BUT CAN ALSO BE DUE TO LEVEE 
AND DAM FAILURES.  YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY TO PROTECT 
YOUR LIFE AND PROPERTY IF YOU ARE IN THE DANGER AREA.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED...
MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY AND GET OUT OF THE DANGER AREA.
NEVER DRIVE ACROSS BRIDGES COVERED WITH WATER...OR THROUGH AREAS
WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.  MOST CARS WILL FLOAT IN JUST 16 
TO 18 INCHES OF WATER.  IF RISING WATER CAPTURES YOUR AUTOMOBILE...
IT COULD EASILY SWEEP YOU AWAY.  BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT...
WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THAT AN AREA MAY BE FLOODED.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON FLASH FLOODS AND SEVERE WEATHER...
CHECK OUT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE AT:
WEATHER.GOV/PHI...ALL IN LOWER CASE.
 
WEATHER SAFETY TOPICS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK:
THURSDAY...RIVER FLOOD SAFETY.
FRIDAY...SKYWARN SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS YEAR'S SEVERE WEATHER SEASON.

$$

JJM