PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
600 AM EDT WED MAR 19 2008

...THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...

TODAY'S TOPIC IS FLOODING AND RELATED PHENOMENA.

WHEN IT COMES TO TROPICAL CYCLONES, WIND SPEEDS DO NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY. 
INTENSE RAINFALL, NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE WIND SPEED OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE, 
OFTEN CAUSES MORE DAMAGE. SINCE THE 1970S, INLAND FLOODING HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE 
FOR MORE THAN HALF OF THE DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE UNITED STATES. 
TYPICALLY, GREATER RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND FLOODING ARE ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES 
THAT HAVE A SLOW FORWARD SPEED OR STALL OVER AN AREA. 

INLAND FRESHWATER FLOODS ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN HALF (59%) OF U.S. TROPICAL CYCLONE 
DEATHS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS. RAINFALL IS TYPICALLY HEAVIER WITH SLOWER MOVING STORMS 
AS SLOWER MOVING TROPICAL CYCLONES ALLOW HEAVY RAIN TO PERSIST OVER A LOCATION. 

IN THE PAST...HURRICANE AGNES BROUGHT MASSIVE FLOODING AS IT PASSED
JUST WEST OF NEW YORK CITY BEFORE RE-CURVING TO THE WEST ACROSS
CENTRAL NEW YORK STATE IN 1972 WITH 2.4 BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
DAMAGES AND 25 DEATHS IN NEW YORK STATE ALONE. AGNES WAS THE WORST
NATURAL DISASTER TO HIT NEW YORK UP TO THAT TIME. IN 1999 HURRICANE
FLOYD CAUSED MAJOR FLOODING ACROSS NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY AND
THE LOWER HUDSON RIVER VALLEY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON NEW YORK WORKS HARD TO MONITOR
AND TRACK TROPICAL CYCLONES AND PROJECT THEIR IMPACT ON OUR REGION
TO HELP OUR RESIDENCE PREPARE. WE HOLD DAILY CONFERENCE CALLS WITH
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
INCLUDING THOSE WHO WORK IN DISASTER RELIEF. WE ALSO HAVE THE
HURRICANE HOTLINE IN OUR OFFICE...WHICH IS A DIRECT LINE TO THE
TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER'S FORECASTERS. WE ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH
OUR RIVER FORECAST CENTERS WHO MODEL THE RIVER AND STREAM FLOW IN OUR 
REGION...WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR FLOOD FORECASTING.

DURING WINTER...LARGE SNOW STORMS AND COLD WEATHER LEAVE MANY
LOCATIONS ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA WITH A DEEP SNOW COVER AND FROZEN
RIVERS. IF HEAVY RAIN AND UNUSUALLY MILD TEMPERATURES MOVE INTO A
LOCATION WITH A DEEP SNOW COVER AND FROZEN RIVER...ICE BREAKS UP.
THESE ICE JAMS...WHICH FLOAT DOWNSTREAM...OFTEN PILE UP NEAR NARROW
PASSAGES...SUCH AS BRIDGES...CAUSING WATER TO OVERFLOW UPSTREAM FROM
THE JAM...RESULTING IN FLOODING OF NEARBY HOMES AND BUSINESSES.

AN ICE JAM FLOOD CAN OCCUR QUICKLY. THE RISK OF ICE JAM FLOODING
INCREASES WHEN THE AMOUNT OF ICE IN OUR AREA WATER SYSTEMS IS ABOVE
NORMAL. AN ICE JAM RESTRICTS THE NATURAL FLOW OF A WATER SYSTEM. TO
HELP THE PUBLIC PREPARE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF WINTER/SPRING FLOODING,
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON ISSUES SPRING FLOOD POTENTIAL
OUTLOOKS EVERY OTHER FRIDAY WHICH DETAILS CURRENT SNOWPACK...ICE AND
SOIL MOISTURE. THE OUTLOOK DETERMINES THE RISK FOR WINTER/SPRING
FLOODING. THIS OUTLOOK CAN BE FOUND ON THE UPTON WEB SITE...WHICH IS
WEATHER.GOV/OKX (ALL LOWER CASE).

ONCE THE SMOKE CLEARS FROM A WILDFIRE, THE DANGER IS NOT OVER. FLASH FLOODS 
AND DEBRIS FLOWS—OR MUDFLOWS—CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST HAZARDOUS CONSEQUENCES OF 
RAINFALL ON BURNED HILL SLOPES. JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL ON A BURNED 
AREA CAN LEAD TO THESE HAZARDS. THE POWERFUL FORCE OF RUSHING WATER, SOIL, 
AND ROCK, BOTH WITHIN THE BURNED AREA AND DOWNSTREAM, CAN DESTROY CULVERTS, 
BRIDGES, ROADWAYS, AND STRUCTURES, AND CAN RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH. 
THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL LANDSLIDES HAZARDS PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE 
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION STRIVES TO REDUCE LOSS OF LIFE 
AND PROPERTY TO LANDSLIDE HAZARDS THROUGH IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING AND 
EFFECTIVE MITIGATION. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED IN THREE PRIMARY WAYS: DEVELOPMENT 
OF IMPROVED APPROACHES FOR LANDSLIDE HAZARD ASSESSMENTS; POST-DISASTER RESPONSE; 
AND PUBLIC INFORMATION AND OUTREACH.

THE TOPICS THAT WE WILL FOCUS ON THE REST OF THIS WEEK ARE:
THURSDAY...FLOOD INSURANCE.
FRIDAY...FLOOD SAFETY.


FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK USE THIS WEB SITE:

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OKX/FLOODAWARENESS_WEEK.HTM

IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...CONTACT GARY CONTE OR NANCY
FURBUSH VIA EMAIL AT GARY.CONTE@NOAA.GOV OR NANCY.FURBUSH@NOAA.GOV.