• Flood Safety Awareness Week - Overview
• Monday - Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services
• Tuesday - Turn Around, Don't Drown
• Wednesday - Flooding and Related Phenomena
  • Snowmelt and Ice Jams
  • Flash Floods and Debris Flows
• Thursday - Flood Insurance
• Friday - Flood Safety

• West of the Divide - From the NWS Northwest River Forecast Center
• East of the Divide - From the NWS Missouri Basin River Forecast Center

The fourth annual National Flood Safety Awareness Week runs March 17-21, 2008. National Weather Service offices throughout Montana are working together to provide information on why floods are a significant hazard in our state.

The goal of this campaign is to highlight some of the ways floods can occur…the hazards associated with floods...and what you can do to save your life and protect your property.

Flooding can occur anytime and anywhere in Montana. Floods can arrive within minutes or over a period of time. They can roll boulders the size of cars…destroy buildings and bridges…and take human lives.

Floods are one of the deadliest weather-related killer in the United States... second only to heat. Floods cause an average of 106 deaths per year in the United States. Over half of flood related deaths occur when people drive into flooded roadways or simply walk through moving water. Six inches of fast-moving water can knock you off your feet. A depth of 2 feet will float most vehicles...including sport utility vehicles. While most floods cannot be prevented...there are simple steps you can take to protect your life and property.

These are just a few flood safety tips that will be repeated throughout the week:

• If flooding occurs…move to higher ground immediately.
• Do not allow children to play near high water...storm drains or ditches. Hidden dangers often lie beneath the water.
• Flooded roadways can have significant damage hidden by floodwaters. Never drive on a flooded road.
• Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams or washes...particularly when threatening weather conditions exist.
• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.

Additional information about Flood Safety Awareness Week is available at:
www.weather.gov/floodsafety

or through National Weather Service offices in Montana

Flood Safety Awareness Week... hosted by the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration's - NOAA - National Weather Service... is scheduled for March 17 to 21 2008. Flood safety is promoted throughout the year to raise public awareness of the dangers of flooding and of ways to protect lives and property. Each spring there is a focused effort to raise public awareness of the threats posed by floods. On average... floods kill nearly 100 people and are responsible for damages of nearly 5.0 billion dollars annually. No state or territory is immune from the dangers of flooding.

Gary carter...NOAA's hydrology program manager stated:

"Society continues to build homes and businesses in the flood plains which are vulnerable to flooding. This increases the need for more accurate and timely hydrologic information including flood and flash flood watches and warnings to protect lives and property."

Meeting the hydrologic forecast and warning information needs of America will always be the NWS goal. Whether it is for navigation...water supply...recreation...public safety...power generation...or agriculture...NWS is committed to improving access to flood information so the right decisions are made at the right time...by the right people...to move people out of harm/s way or save valuable resources.

As part of NOAA's mission to serve the increasing needs for weather and water information...NWS...under the auspices of the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service...continues to improve flood forecasts and warnings.

Glenn Austin...NWS Chief of the Hydrologic Services Division... stated:

"To enhance the communication of flood risk and build more resilient communities...NOAA's National Weather Service and National Ocean Service Coastal Services Center have partnered to provide the first series of flood inundation maps. These inundation maps depict the spatial extent and depth of flood waters in the vicinity of national weather service river forecast locations. Users are able to display flood inundation maps for forecast river levels ranging from minor flooding through the largest observed flood on record. Community leaders and citizens will be able to make better decisions in advance of the next flood by relating current and forecast river heights to these inundation maps."

Extensive information about flooding and flood safety... including education materials...videos...brochures...and news articles can be found online at

http://www.weather.gov/floodsafety/

Topics covered on this web page include:

Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service - AHPS - is the heart of the NWS hydrology program covering everything from floods to droughts. AHPS extends the range and quantifies the certainty of NWS river forecasts and provides timely... user friendly text and graphical products... including flood mapping. These maps allow a user to see the extent of flooding at a glance on the internet.

Turn Around...Don't Drown
People often underestimate the force of water. More than half of all flood-related deaths occur when vehicles... including trucks and SUVs...are swept downstream. Many of these drownings are preventable simply by not driving or walking onto flooded roads. Most vehicles lose contact with the road in 6 inches of water and can be swept away in 18-24 inches of water. New Turn Around... Don't Drown warning signs... compliant with the federal highway administration regulations... can now be deployed at locations where the incidence of flooding is high... the onset of flooding is rapid... and where flooding occurs in isolated locations.

Remember... When approaching a flooded roadway...make the right choice... Turn Around...Don't Drown.

Floods...droughts and related phenomena
From floods to droughts...hydrologic extremes often plague our vast nation. Tropical cyclone inland flooding... snowmelt flooding...ice jams...and debris flows are just some of the flood related phenomena posing a threat to Americans.

Flood risk and flood insurance
Flood losses are not typically covered in homeowner insurance policies. However flood insurance is available to property owners in communities taking part in the federal emergency management agency /FEMA/ national flood insurance program. FEMA/s Floodsmart campaign promotes the idea that every American should know their flood risk and choose the appropriate flood insurance.

Flood safety
The NWS...along with government and private sector partners... inform communities across the United States on how to become aware of flood risks and react properly when a flood threatens. Knowing what to do before...during and after a flood can save lives and reduce injuries and property damage.