PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
745 AM EST WED MAR 9 2005

<b>...PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY HAZARDOUS WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...</b>

THIS IS THE THIRD OF A FIVE PART SERIES ON SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY
WHICH WILL RUN EACH DAY DURING PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY'S
HAZARDOUS WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK. HAZARDOUS WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK
RUNS FROM MARCH 6TH THROUGH MARCH 12TH.

<b>...FLASH FLOODS...</b>

THE NUMBER ONE SEVERE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN THE UNITED STATES IS
FLOODING. MOST FLOOD-RELATED DEATHS ARE A RESULT OF BEING WASHED
AWAY WHILE TRYING TO CROSS A FLOODED ROADWAY ON FOOT OR IN AN
AUTOMOBILE. CURRENTLY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS ATTEMPTING
TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ON THE DANGERS OF FLOODS WITH ITS "TURN
AROUND DON'T DROWN" CAMPAIGN. WHETHER YOU ARE DRIVING OR
WALKING...IF YOU COME TO A FLOODED ROAD...TURN AROUND, DON'T
DROWN!!! YOU WILL NOT KNOW THE DEPTH OF THE WATER NOR WILL YOU KNOW
THE CONDITION OF THE ROAD UNDER THE WATER.

FLOODS THAT OCCUR ON SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS WITHIN SIX HOURS OF
THE CAUSATIVE EVENT ARE KNOWN AS FLASH FLOODS. CAUSATIVE EVENTS CAN
BE HEAVY RAIN...A DAM BREAK...OR AN ICE JAM FORMATION OR BREAK.
FLASH FLOODS ARE THE DEADLIEST OF ALL FLOODS AND ARE THE MOST
DIFFICULT TO FORECAST IN ADVANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE GENERALLY VERY
LOCALIZED. FOR THIS REASON...WARNING TIME FOR FLASH FLOODS CAN BE
VERY SHORT.

SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO FLASH FLOODING. THE TWO KEY ELEMENTS
ARE RAINFALL INTENSITY AND DURATION. INTENSITY IS THE RATE OF
RAINFALL...AND DURATION IS HOW LONG THE RAIN PERSISTS. FLASH FLOODS
CAN ROLL BOULDERS...TEAR OUT TREES...DESTROY BUILDINGS AND
BRIDGES...AND SCOUR OUT NEW CHANNELS. RAPIDLY RISING WATER CAN REACH
HEIGHTS OF 30 FEET OR MORE!!! IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY...FLASH
FLOOD-PRODUCING RAINS CAN ALSO TRIGGER CATASTROPHIC MUD SLIDES.
OFTEN FLASH FLOODING IS CAUSED BY SLOW MOVING
THUNDERSTORMS...THUNDERSTORMS REPEATEDLY MOVING OVER THE SAME
AREA...OR RAINS FROM HURRICANES OR TROPICAL STORMS. THESE EVENTS ARE
ALL WELL FORECAST BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THUS WHEN
THESE INGREDIENTS ARE PRESENT...YOUR SHOULD BE READY TO TAKE QUICK
ACTION SHOULD FLOODING BEGIN.

MANY FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR BECAUSE PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE THE
POWER OF WATER. FOR EXAMPLE...ONLY 6 INCHES OF QUICKLY MOVING WATER
CAN EASILY KNOCK A PERSON OF THEIR FEET. ONLY TWO FEET OF WATER...AN
AMOUNT THAT SOME TIRES ARE EVENT LARGER THAN...CAN EASILY PICK UP
MOST VEHICLES AND MOVE THEM AT WILL.

HEAVY RAINS FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE JEANNE DUMPED 4 TO 9
INCHES OF RAIN OVER SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA IN JUST A FEW HOURS ON
SEPTEMBER 28, 2004. A PHILADELPHIA RESIDENT DROWNED WHEN SHE WAS
SWEPT OFF HER FEET WHILE WAITING FOR A BUS AS URBAN RUNOFF MOVED IN
HER DIRECTION. HEAVY RAIN FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IVAN
PRODUCED FLASH FLOODING IN THE HILLY TERRAIN OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
AND POCONO MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2004 RESULTING
IN MASSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE.

EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF TROPICAL SYSTEMS, HEAVY RAINS FROM SLOW
MOVING THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING AS WELL. SUCH WAS
THE CASE IN BURLINGTON COUNTY NEW JERSEY ON JULY 12, 2004 WHEN SLOW
MOVING THUNDERSTORMS DUMPED UP TO 13 INCHES OF RAIN IN LESS THAN 12
HOURS OVER PARTS OF THE RANCOCAS CREEK WATERSHED. MASSIVE FLOODING
ENSUED, AND APPROXIMATELY 44 DAMS WERE EITHER COMPROMISED OR
DESTROYED. PRESIDENT BUSH DECLARED PARTS OF BURLINGTON AND CAMDEN
COUNTIES A DISASTER AREA AS A RESULT OF THIS FLOODING.

...WHAT DOES A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEAN?
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH
FLOODING TO DEVELOP SOMEWHERE IN THE WATCH AREA. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
IS USUALLY ISSUED FOR SEVERAL COUNTIES AT A TIME. UNDER IDEAL
CONDITIONS, A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ISSUED EVEN BEFORE HEAVY RAIN
MOVES INTO THE AREA. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH PROVIDES SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS BY ALERTING RESIDENTS FLASH FLOODING IS A POSSIBILITY AND
THAT CONDITIONS NEED TO BE WATCHED.

...WHAT DOES A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEAN?
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED...OR THAT
FLOODING IS VERY PROBABLE BASED ON RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATED BY
NWS DOPPLER RADAR. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY TO GET OUT OF
THE DANGER AREA. NEVER DRIVE ACROSS BRIDGES COVERED WITH WATER OR
THROUGH WATER-COVERED ROADWAYS. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL AT NIGHT WHEN
FLOODED AREAS ARE HARDER TO SEE.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON FLASH FLOODS AND THE "TURN AROUND DON'T
DROWN" CAMPAIGN, PLEASE VISIT THE NWS FLOOD AWARENESS WEBSITE AT
<a href="http://www.nws.noaa.gov/floodsafety";>WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/FLOODSAFETY</a>.