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HUN Home » Flood Safety
Awareness Week 2007 |
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Flood Safety Awareness Week
2007
Monday, March 19 - Friday, March 23 |
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20081022210241im_/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/events/Dec2004_Flood/thumb_laceysprings03.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20081022210241im_/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/events/2003-05_flood/images/0510_332PM_%20FRONTOFMCFARLANDPK_RIVSTG_2500FT.JPG) |
The Tennessee Valley has
been fortunate with regards to flooding over the last
few years, but several significant floods are still fresh
on our minds. The worst flooding in many years occurred
in May 2003, including at MacFarland Park in Florence
(Lauderdale County), at right, but December 2004 nearly
matched the May 2003 floods. The Tennessee River at Whitesburg
flooded out residents of Lacey's Spring in Morgan County
(left). |
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National Weather Service offices throughout the United
States are conducting a Flood Safety Awareness Week from March
19 through 23, 2007. Flooding is the #2 weather killer
in the United States, ahead of tornadoes and severe weather,
and is the costliest weather-related disaster we face, with
$4.3 billion in property damage annually. While much of the
focus remains on thunderstorms and tornadoes, flooding can
often be an underrated killer.
While 2005 and 2006 have been relatively quiet years--perhaps
TOO quiet, since the area has experienced droughts--the Tennessee
Valley has endured plenty of recent flooding events, such
as:
- December
2004: An unusually wet pattern brought a series
of heavy rain events to the Tennessee Valley, pushing many
smaller creeks as well as major rivers out of their banks
several times over. In fact, the Tennessee River at Florence
remained in flood for 7 days in December!
- Hurricane
Ivan, September 2004: The remnants of Hurricane
Ivan drenched the area in mid-September 2004, dumping up
to 8 inches of rain in just 24 hours on parts of DeKalb
and Jackson County. It turned the West Fork Little River
(in Little River Canyon) from a smaller stream into a raging
river.
- May
2003: A record flooding event occurred in early
May 2003, and it's one that people around the area still
remember. It was the wettest month in a decade or more for
many locations. Up to an inch of rain pounded a site in
Huntsville in less than 5 minutes!
Each day during Flood Safety Awareness Week will be devoted
to a different topic: |
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Flood Awareness
Week Schedule |
Monday
March 19 |
AHPS
(Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service)
We'll feature a section of our web page devoted to providing
enhanced and more detailed information to help you make
decisions when flood threats arise. (You can check out
the Tennessee Valley AHPS page here.) |
Tuesday
March 20 |
Turn
Around, Don't Drown!
Find out more about a campaign of the National Weather
Service intended to warn people of the hazards of walking
or driving a vehicle through flood waters. |
Wednesday
March 21 |
Flooding and Related Phenomena: Tropical
Cyclone Inland Flooding
Last year saw a number of tropical cyclones impact the
Tennessee Valley, but a lack of rainfall outside of these
systems prevented more widespread flooding. We aren't
always as lucky; Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 created
some significant flooding, and portions of Alabama were
hit by 20 to 25 inches of rainfall in 1994 by Tropical
Storm Alberto. |
Thursday
March 22 |
Determining
Flood Risk/Flood Insurance
Your homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood damage!
We'll devote Thursday to explaining the National Flood
Insurance Program, and help you find out if you might
be threatened. |
Friday
March 23 |
Flood
Safety
More people are killed in floods than any other natural
disaster except heat. Flash flooding is the number one
thunderstorm-related hazard. We'll cover ways to ensure
your survival during flooding. |
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Related Links and
Publications |
- NWS Huntsville
Flood Safety Awareness Week Newsletter
(2.5 megabyte PDF file) - A
specialized newsletter just for the Tennessee Valley, including
local flooding and hydrologic information.
The newsletter is also available by individual pages:
Page 1 (Title Page, 1.8 MB)
Page 2 (Introduction, 630 kB)
Page 3 (AHPS, 240 kB)
Page 4 (Turn Around, Don't Drown, 700 kB)
Page 5 (Tropical Cyclone Inland Flooding, 1.2 MB)
Page 6 (Flood Insurance, 550 kB)
Page 7 (Flood Safety, 720 kB)
Page 8 (NWS Huntsville Flood Policies & Initiatives, 1.4
MB)
Page 9 (More Flood Safety Tips, 380 kB)
Page 10 (NOAA Weather Radio, 140 kB)
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National NWS Flood Safety Webpage - Links to
many resources highlighting the dangers that flood waters
present to your safety.
-
AHPS Video (4 minutes, RealVideo) - A video
clip describing the goals of the AHPS program and what to
expect in the future.
- Turn Around, Don't Drown PSA's from Kyle Busch
(AVI,
MPEG,
RealVideo,
and WMV)
- National
Flood Insurance Program
- Flash
Floods and River Floods Brochure
- Inland
Tropical Cyclone Flooding from the NWS Southern
Region
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