Great Post by NWS from Flood Awareness Week

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
1125 AM CDT WED MAR 18 2009

...DAY 3 OF 2009 NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...

YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) INVITES YOUR PARTICIPATION IN
ITS ANNUAL NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...MARCH 16-20 2009.

TODAYS THEME IS FLOODING AND RELATED PHENOMENA. FLOODS OCCUR
NATIONWIDE AND ARE THE DEADLIEST WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN THE
UNITED STATES. FLOODING CAN BE CAUSED BY A VARIETY OF WEATHER
HAZARDS INCLUDING TROPICAL CYCLONES...LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS...
THUNDERSTORMS...SNOWMELT...AND DEBRIS FLOWS. THE IMPACTS OF FLOODING
CAN RANGE FROM RIVER FLOODING...TO URBAN FLOODING...TO FLASH
FLOODING. NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF FLOODING IS OCCURRING IT IS LIFE
THREATENING...SO STAY INFORMED OF DEVELOPING SITUATIONS AND BE
PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION TO AVOID DANGER.

HERE ARE SOME TERMS THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE USES TO CONVEY THE
FLOOD THREAT:

- A FLOOD WATCH OR FLASH FLOOD WATCH INDICATES THAT CONDITIONS ARE
 FAVORABLE FOR FLOODING TO HAPPEN.

- A FLOOD WARNING OR FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS OCCURRING
 OR IMMINENT.

- MINOR FLOODING IS WHEN MINIMAL OR NO PROPERTY DAMAGE IS EXPECTED
 TO OCCUR...BUT THE FLOODING COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE SOME PUBLIC
 THREAT.

- MODERATE FLOODING IS WHEN SOME INUNDATION OF STRUCTURES AND ROADS
 NEAR STREAMS AND RIVERS OCCURS. SOME EVACUATIONS OF PEOPLE OR
 TRANSFERRING PROPERTY TO HIGHER GROUND MAY BE NEEDED.

- MAJOR FLOODING IS WHEN THERE IS EXTENSIVE INUNDATION OF STRUCTURES
 AND ROADS ALONG WITH POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT EVACUATIONS OF PEOPLE
 AND PROPERTY TO HIGHER GROUND.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT AHPS AND FLOOD SAFETY CHECK OUT
THESE HELPFUL LINKS:

WWW.WATER.WEATHER.GOV

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY/

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NASHVILLE

$$

LAROSA