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Severe Weather Safety Guide Flash Flooding

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Severe Weather Safety Guide Flash Flooding What causes River Flooding? Stay informed! • Persistent storms over the same area for long Listen to NOAA Weather Radio, local radio or Severe periods of time. television for the latest weather and river forecasts. • Combined rainfall and snowmelt • Ice jams Weather • Releases from man made lakes • Excessive rain from tropical systems making Safety landfall. How does the NWS issue To check out the latest river forecast information Guide and current stages on our area rivers, visit: Flood/Flash Flood Warnings? http://weather.gov/pah/ahps Flash Check out the National Weather Service Paducah website for the latest information at Flooding weather.gov/paducah Call for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service’s Weather Information Now number: Paducah, KY: 270-744-6331 Evansville, IN: 812-425-5549 National Weather Service forecasters rely on a A reference guide from your network of almost 10,000 gages to monitor the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration height of rivers and streams across the Nation. National Weather Service National Weather Service This gage data is only one of many different 8250 Kentucky Highway 3520 Paducah, Kentucky sources for data. Forecasters use data from the Doppler Radar, surface weather observations, West Paducah, KY 42086 snow melt/cover information and many other 270-744-6440 different data sources in order to monitor the threat for flooding. FLOODS KILL MORE PEOPLE FACT: Almost half of all flash flood Flooding PER YEAR THAN ANY OTHER fatalities occur in vehicles. WEATHER PHENOMENAN. fatalities occur in vehicles. Safety • As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose What are Flash Floods ? control of your vehicle. Tips: • A flash flood is a rapid rise of water along a • Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles, Keep alert for signs of heavy rain (thunder and stream or low-lying urban area. Flash flood including SUVs & pickups. lightning). damage and most fatalities tend to occur in areas • Watch for rising water levels. immediately next to a stream, due to a Water weighs 62.4 lbs per cubic foot • combination of heavy rain, dam break, levee and typically flows downstream at 6 to Know where high ground is and move quickly 12 miles an hour. failure, rapid snowmelt, and ice jams. Flash if you see or hear rapidly rising water. floods can be produced when slow moving or • Do not attempt to walk, swim, play or drive in multiple thunderstorms occur over the same area. When a vehicle stalls in the water, the flood waters. You may not be able to see how Flash floods have two key elements: Rainfall water’s momentum is transferred to fast the flood water is moving or see holes or intensity and duration. the car. submerged debris. Flood Products Issued by the National • Avoid setting up a campsite near streams or Weather Service: For each foot the water rises up the low areas where flooding is likely. side of the car, the car displaces 1500 • Flood Watch: Developing weather conditions lbs of water. So, the car weighs 1500 Listen to weather forecasts and keep away indicate there is a threat of flooding. lbs less for each foot the water rises. from streams if thunderstorms have occurred or have been predicted near your location. Flood Warning: Flooding is expected in normally dry areas due to increased water levels Two feet of water will carry away • When thunderstorms are in the area, stay alert most automobiles (trucks and SUVs on either a river, stream or drainage ditch. for rapidly changing conditions. too!). • Stay away from high water, storm drains, Flash Flood Warning: Excessive rain falling in a short period of time, usually less than 6 hours, ditches, ravines, viaducts or culverts. • Be cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the which results in fast and serious flooding of • If water is moving swiftly, even water six normally dry areas. dangers of flash flooding. Flood water can eat away at the road underneath, causing you to be stranded or inches deep can knock you off your feet. Many Urban & Small Stream Advisory: High water trapped. people are swept away while wading through or flooding is expected in small streams, streets, flood waters. • Never drive into flooded roadways! If you come upon and low lying areas such as railroad underpasses, flood waters, STOP and TURN around and go another and urban storm drains. way. • If the vehicle you are in stalls, abandon it and seek higher ground immediately. • Underpasses can fill rapidly with water. Driving into a flooded underpass can quickly put you in 5-6 feet of water. .
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