NOUS42 KILM 080827 CCA
PNSILM

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
800 AM EDT THU MAR 08 2012

...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA MARCH 
04 TO MARCH 10...

TODAYS TOPIC WILL BE FLOODING. NATIONWIDE...FLOODING CAUSES MORE 
FATALITIES THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF SEVERE WEATHER. SEVERAL FACTORS 
CONTRIBUTE TO FLOODING. THE TWO MAIN FACTORS ARE THE INTENSITY OF 
RAINFALL AND HOW LONG RAIN OCCURS OVER ANY GIVEN LOCATION. 
URBANIZATION...TOPOGRAPHY...SOIL TYPE AND SOIL MOISTURE ALSO PLAY 
ROLES IN THE SEVERITY OF FLOOD CONDITIONS. 

FLOODING IN THE CAROLINAS CAN RESULT FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT WEATHER 
SITUATIONS. SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS CAN DUMP HEAVY RAIN OVER THE 
SAME LOCATION RESULTING IN RAPID FLASH FLOODING...OR DAYS OF STEADY 
RAIN CAN CAUSE CREEKS AND RIVERS TO FLOOD OVER LARGE AREAS. LASTLY, 
ANY THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS METROPOLITAN OR URBANIZED AREAS CAN 
CAUSE FLASH FLOODING DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF RUNOFF GENERATED BY HIGHLY 
DEVELOPED AREAS. TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES CAN ALSO BE PROLIFIC 
FLOOD PRODUCERS.

RUSHING WATER IN THE FORM OF A FLASH FLOOD CAN QUICKLY BECOME 
DEADLY. RUNNING WATER THAT IS DEEP ENOUGH TO COVER JUST HALF OF AN 
AUTOMOBILES TIRES IS USUALLY ENOUGH TO MAKE THE VEHICLE BEGIN TO 
FLOAT AND BE CARRIED BY THE CURRENT.  MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN 
AUTOMOBILES. WHEN APPROACHING WATER FLOWING OVER THE ROAD, TURN 
AROUND AND GO THE OTHER WAY. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

FLOODING IS DANGEROUS ANY TIME OF DAY...BUT MOST DANGEROUS AT NIGHT 
WHEN IT IS DIFFICULT TO OBSERVE. LIMITED VISIBILITY AT NIGHT MAKES 
IT NOT ONLY MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE FLOOD WATERS, BUT ALSO NEARLY 
IMPOSSIBLE TO GAGE WATER DEPTH AND WHETHER IT IS STANDING OR 
FLOWING. IN MANY CASES DRIVERS WHO ENTER THE WATER SEVERELY MISJUDGE 
THE DEPTH AND STRENGTH OF THE FLOOD WATERS.  

WHEN FLOODING IS POSSIBLE, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE A 
FLOOD WATCH. THIS TELLS YOU TO REMAIN ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF 
HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WITHIN THE NEXT SIX TO TWELVE HOURS. ONCE A 
FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED, THEN IT IS TIME TO TAKE ACTION. WHEN A 
WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA, IT MEANS THAT FLOODING HAS BEEN 
REPORTED OR IS IMMINENT. THIS IS THE TIME TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE 
SITUATION AND MOVE QUICKLY IF FLOOD WATERS THREATEN. ONE OF THE BEST 
PRACTICES TO OBSERVE DURING FLOODING IS AVOIDING UNNECESSARY TRAVEL.

WHEN HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING THREATENS YOUR AREA, STAY INFORMED BY 
LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO.

$$