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...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NEW YORK STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE HAVE PROCLAIMED MAY 3RD THROUGH 9TH SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK. OF ALL THE WEATHER HAZARDS WHICH CONFRONT NEW YORKERS... FLOODING POSES THE GREATEST THREAT TO LIVES AND PROPERTY. ON JULY 8TH 1998... TWO PEOPLE DIED IN ATTICA WHEN A FLASH FLOOD SWEPT THROUGH THE GENESEE COUNTY COMMUNITY. FLASH FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED JUST 12 DAYS EARLIER... ON JUNE 26TH... ALONG THE CATTARAUGUS CREEK FROM ARCADE IN WYOMING COUNTY... THROUGH GOWANDA... TO SUNSET BAY BY THE LAKE ERIE SHORE. THE FLOODING PROMPTED A FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION FOR SEVERAL COUNTIES. BOTH EVENTS WERE CAUSED BY TORRENTIAL RAIN FROM SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS. EXCESSIVE RAINFALL IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2004 CAUSED WIDESPREAD FLOODING OVER MUCH OF NEW YORK. ROADS AND DRIVEWAYS WERE WASHED OUT. SOME HOMES WERE DESTROYED BY MUDSLIDES AND OTHERS WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED. THERE WERE LARGE FINANCIAL LOSSES TO AGRICULTURE AS FIELDS AND ORCHARDS WERE SATURATED. PARTICULARLY HARD HIT WAS NAPLES...ONTARIO COUNTY ON MAY 20-21. IN ALL...OVER A DOZEN COUNTIES WERE DECLARED ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL AND STATE DISASTER PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FUNDS. WIDESPREAD FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL NEW YORK IN JANUARY 1998 RESULTING IN STILL ANOTHER FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION. THIS FLOODING WAS THE RESULT OF HEAVY RAIN COMBINING WITH A RAPID SNOWMELT FROM UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER. ALSO... NEW YORKERS WILL NEVER FORGET THE LOSS OF LIFE AND THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY TROPICAL STORM AGNES IN JUNE 1972. AND IN 1999... TOPICAL STORM FLOYD CAUSED EXTENSIVE FLOOD DAMAGE IN EASTERN NEW YORK WHEN 13 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. WHEN LOOKING AT PREVIOUS FLOOD EVENTS IN NEW YORK... ONE CAN SEE THAT FLOODING IS A SERIOUS THREAT AT ANY TIME OF YEAR. IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA... YOU MUST ALWAYS BE PREPARED. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTERS ROUTINELY MONITOR RIVER LEVELS... RAINFALL AND SNOWFALL IN NEW YORK. WHENEVER THERE/S A THREAT THAT RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING... A FLOOD WATCH WOULD BE ISSUED. YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING WHENEVER A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. MAKE SURE YOUR VEHICLE HAS A FULL TANK OF GAS. THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF ELECTRICITY WOULD MAKE GASOLINE PUMPS INOPERABLE. KNOW YOUR EVACUATION ROUTES IN ADVANCE IN CASE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE AREA. MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR A PLACE TO STAY IF YOU ARE FORCED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME... WHETHER AT A SHELTER OR A RELATIVE/S HOME. IN THE HOME... KEEP A STOCK OF FOOD WHICH REQUIRES NO COOKING OR REFRIGERATION. ONCE AGAIN... THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF ELECTRICITY OR NATURAL GAS SERVICE WILL SPOIL PERISHABLE FOODS. STORE DRINKING WATER IN CONTAINERS OR A CLEAN BATHTUB... ABOUT A GALLON PER PERSON PER DAY FOR UP TO FOUR DAYS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE A FLOOD OR FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHENEVER FLOODING IS EITHER OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. YOU MUST ACT QUICKLY WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. IF YOU LIVE NEAR A RIVER OR STREAM... MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND... BUT NEVER DRIVE ACROSS A FLOODED ROAD. THE WATER MAY BE HIDING A ROAD WASHOUT... OR THE CURRENT MAYBE STRONG ENOUGH TO SWEEP YOUR VEHICLE AWAY. IF YOUR CAR STALLS... LEAVE IT IMMEDIATELY AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. FINALLY... BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT SINCE IT'S HARDER TO RECOGNIZE FLOOD DANGERS.