NOUS42 KCHS 210840
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-220900-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
400 AM EST TUE MAR 21 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED MARCH 20 THROUGH 24 AS 
FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN 
CHARLESTON WILL FEATURE A DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL TOPIC EACH DAY 
DURING THE AWARENESS WEEK. TODAY/S TOPIC IS...TURN AROUND DON/T 
DROWN...TADD FOR SHORT.

TADD IS A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO WARN PEOPLE OF THE 
HAZARDS OF WALKING OR DRIVING THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.


WHY IS TURN AROUND DON/T DROWN SO IMPORTANT?

EACH YEAR...MORE DEATHS OCCUR DUE TO FLOODING THAN FROM ANY OTHER 
SEVERE WEATHER-RELATED HAZARD. THE MAIN REASON IS THAT PEOPLE 
UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF WATER. MORE THAN HALF OF ALL 
FLOOD-RELATED DEATHS RESULT FROM VEHICLES BEING SWEPT DOWNSTREAM. OF 
THESE...MOST ARE PREVENTABLE.


WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF FLOODING?

  RIVER FLOOD
FLOODING OF RIVERS IS NATURAL AND INEVITABLE. IT IS USUALLY CAUSED 
BY HEAVY RAIN FALLING OVER A LARGE AREA IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD 
OF TIME. THIS CAN EITHER BE DUE TO A FRONTAL SYSTEM...LOW PRESSURE 
SYSTEM...OR LANDFALLING TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE. IN THIS PART OF 
THE COUNTRY...THE RELATIVE LACK OF TERRAIN CAN MAKE RIVER FLOODING 
LAST FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME...SINCE IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR THE 
WATER TO MAKE ITS WAY TO THE OCEAN. 

  COASTAL FLOOD
WINDS GENERATED BY TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES...OR INTENSE 
OFFSHORE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS...CAN PUSH OCEAN WATER INLAND AND 
CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE CYCLES COMBINED 
WITH EITHER AN OFFSHORE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...AND/OR HEAVY 
RAIN...CAN RESULT IN SEVERE FLOODING OF COASTAL CITIES. ESCAPE  
ROUTES CAN BE CUT OFF AND BLOCKED BY HIGH WATER.

  URBAN FLOOD
AS LAND IS CONVERTED FROM FIELDS OR WOODLANDS TO ROADS AND PARKING 
LOTS...IT LOSES ITS ABILITY TO ABSORB RAINFALL. URBANIZATION 
INCREASES RUNOFF 2 TO 6 TIMES OVER WHAT WOULD OCCUR ON NATURAL 
TERRAIN. WHEN TORRENTIAL RAIN OCCURS OVER URBAN AREAS...STORM DRAINS 
CAN QUICKLY BE OVERLOADED BY THE RUNOFF WITH WATER BEGINNING TO POND 
IN LOW SPOTS. PRETTY SOON...STREETS CAN BECOME SWIFT-MOVING RIVERS.


WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FLOOD AND A FLASH FLOOD? 

A FLOOD OCCURS WHEN PROLONGED RAINFALL OVER SEVERAL DAYS OR INTENSE 
RAINFALL OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME CAUSES A RIVER OR STREAM TO 
OVERFLOW AND FLOOD THE SURROUNDING AREA. THUNDERSTORMS CAN BRING 
HEAVY RAIN DURING THE WARMER SEASONS. TROPICAL CYCLONES BRING 
INTENSE RAINFALL TO THE COASTAL AND INLAND STATES IN THE SUMMER AND 
FALL.

FLASH FLOODS OCCUR WITHIN SIX HOURS OF A RAIN EVENT...OR AFTER A DAM 
OR LEVEE FAILURE. FLASH FLOODS CAN CATCH PEOPLE UNPREPARED. YOU WILL 
NOT ALWAYS HAVE A WARNING THAT THESE DEADLY...SUDDEN FLOODS ARE 
COMING. SO...IF YOU LIVE IN AREAS PRONE TO FLASH FLOODS...PLAN NOW 
TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND PROPERTY. THE USE OF THE WORD FLASH IS 
SYNONYMOUS WITH URGENT.
    

WHAT CAN I DO TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT IN A FLOOD?

FOLLOW THESE SAFETY RULES:
STAY AWAY FROM AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING IF RAIN IS FALLING. THIS 
GENERALLY INCLUDES DIPS...LOW SPOTS...CANYONS...WASHES...AND 
UNDERPASSES.  

MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...OR YOUR PREFERRED NEWS 
SOURCE FOR VITAL WEATHER-RELATED INFORMATION. THIS INCLUDES FLOOD 
STATEMENTS...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS...SHORT-TERM FORECASTS...SPECIAL 
WEATHER STATEMENTS...AND OTHER BULLETINS. THESE WILL OFTEN INDICATE 
WHERE HEAVY RAIN IS FALLING OR HAS OCCURRED...AS WELL AS AREAS THAT 
MAY BE EXPERIENCING FLOODING. 

IF YOU ENCOUNTER FLOODING...GET TO HIGHER GROUND. STAY AWAY FROM 
FLOODED AREAS...ESPECIALLY IF THE WATER IS FLOWING FAST. DO NOT 
ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOWING STREAMS ON FOOT OR IN A VEHICLE. 
REMEMBER...MOVING WATER IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN IT LOOKS. TWO 
FEET OF MOVING WATER CAN PUSH A VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD WHILE ONLY SIX 
INCHES OF MOVING WATER CAN KNOCK YOU OFF YOUR FEET. IN ADDITION... 
THE ROAD BED COULD BE SCOURED OUT...GREATLY INCREASING THE WATER 
DEPTH WITHOUT YOU KNOWING. 

DO NOT CAMP OR PARK YOUR VEHICLE ALONG STREAMS AND WASHES... 
PARTICULARLY DURING THREATENING WEATHER. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT 
NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE FLOOD DANGERS.


HOW CAN A FOOT OR TWO OF WATER COST YOU YOUR LIFE? 

WATER WEIGHS 62.4 LBS PER CUBIC FOOT AND TYPICALLY FLOWS DOWNSTREAM 
AT 6 TO 12 MILES AN HOUR. WHEN A VEHICLE STALLS IN THE WATER...THE 
WATER/S MOMENTUM IS TRANSFERRED TO THE CAR. FOR EACH FOOT THE WATER 
RISES...500 LBS OF LATERAL FORCE ARE APPLIED TO THE CAR. BUT THE 
BIGGEST FACTOR IS BUOYANCY. FOR EACH FOOT THE WATER RISES UP THE 
SIDE OF THE CAR...THE CAR DISPLACES 1500 LBS OF WATER. IN EFFECT... 
THE CAR WEIGHS 1500 LBS LESS FOR EACH FOOT THE WATER RISES. TWO FEET 
OF WATER WILL CARRY AWAY MOST AUTOMOBILES.

$$