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NOUS41 KWBC 051215
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
715 AM EST THU MAR 5 2009
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
OTHER NWS PARTNERS...USERS AND EMPLOYEES
FROM: LARRY WENZEL
NWS NATIONAL HYDROLOGIC OUTREACH SERVICES LEADER
SUBJECT: 2009 FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK: MARCH 16-20
FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...HOSTED BY NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE...IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 16 TO 20...2009. THE NWS
PROMOTES FLOOD SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO RAISE PUBLIC
AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF FLOODING AND THE WAYS TO PROTECT
LIFE AND PROPERTY. HOWEVER...EACH SPRING THERE IS A FOCUSED
EFFORT TO RAISE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC/S AWARENESS ABOUT THE
THREATS POSED BY FLOODS. ON AVERAGE OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS...
FLOODS HAVE CLAIMED NEARLY 100 LIVES AND CAUSED DAMAGES IN
EXCESS OF 7 BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY. NO STATE OR TERRITORY IS
IMMUNE FROM THE DANGERS OF FLOODING.
GARY CARTER...NOAA/S HYDROLOGY PROGRAM MANAGER STATED...
/THE 50 PLUS INCHES OF RAIN THAT FELL ACROSS THE MID
SECTION OF THE UNITED STATES IN 2008 RESULTED IN SEVERAL
DEATHS...NUMEROUS WATER RESCUES...AND HUNDREDS OF ROAD
CLOSINGS. IT IS ANOTHER SOBERING REMINDER THAT FLOODS CAN
OCCUR ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE OVER THE NATION AND POSE A
REAL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY./
EVEN THOUGH NOAA SCIENTISTS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE TIMELINESS
AND ACCURACY OF RIVER AND FLOOD FORECASTS...HOMES AND BUSINESSES
CONTINUE TO BE BUILT IN FLOOD PLAINS AND ARE VULNERABLE TO
FLOODING. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING
FLOOD FORECASTS AND WARNINGS...THEIR DISSEMINATION...AND
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC OF THE HAZARDS OF FLOODS TO PROMOTE
RESPONSES WHICH REDUCE THE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.
A SPECTRUM OF PARTNERS AND CUSTOMERS DEPEND ON ACCURATE AND
TIMELY RIVER AND FLOOD FORECASTS FOR A VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS
INCLUDING RIVER NAVIGATION...RECREATION...AGRICULTURE...WATER
SUPPLY AND POWER GENERATION. NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 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 TO OPTIMIZE THE USE OF
INCREASINGLY LIMITED WATER RESOURCES.
THE NEED TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY AND CONSERVE AND PROTECT
OUR NATURAL RESOURCES COULD NOT BE GREATER. THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IS MEETING THIS NEED FOR WATER INFORMATION PRIMARILY
THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION
SERVICE. DR. THOMAS GRAZIANO...NWS CHIEF OF THE HYDROLOGIC
SERVICES DIVISION... STATED
/TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR WATER INFORMATION...NOAA/S
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE
TIMELINESS...INCREASING THE ACCURACY...ENTENDING THE RANGE...
AND QUANTIFYING THE CERTAINTY OF OUR RIVER FORECASTS AND
WARNINGS. IN ADDITION...NOAA IS PARTNERING WITH FEDERAL...
STATE AND OTHER AGENCIES TO IMPLEMENT INUNDATION MAPS WHICH
DEPICT THE SPATIAL EXTENT AND DEPTH OF FLOOD WATERS IN THE
VICINITY OF RIVER FORECAST LOCATIONS. THESE NEW FLOOD
INUNDATION MAPS ENHANCE THE COMMUNICATION OF FLOOD RISK BY
ENABLING DECISION MAKERS TO RELATE CURRENT AND FORECAST RIVER
HEIGHTS TO AREAS WHICH MAY BE INUNDATED./
EXTENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT FLOODING AND FLOOD SAFETY...
INCLUDING EDUCATION MATERIALS...VIDEOS...BROCHURES...AND NEWS
ARTICLES CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY/
TOPICS COVERED ON THIS WEB PAGE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE
THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ IS AT THE
CENTER 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. IF A PICTURE IS WORTH A
THOUSAND WORDS...THEN FLOOD MAPS PROVIDED THROUGH AHPS VISUALLY
BRING SCIENCE TO LIFE...ALLOWING USERS TO SEE THE EXTENT OF
FLOODING AT A GLANCE ON THE INTERNET.
TURN AROUND DON/T DROWN
/I THOUGHT IT WASN/T DEEP... BUT I GUESS IT GOT DEEP.../ STATED
A DRIVER WHO ESCAPED FROM HIS VEHICLE AS IT WASHED AWAY AT A LOW
WATER CROSSING. PEOPLE OFTEN UNDERESTIMATE THE FORCE OF WATER.
MORE THAN HALF OF ALL FLOOD-RELATED DEATHS ARE VEHICLE
RELATED...INCLUDING TRUCKS AND SUVS...THAT ARE SWEPT DOWNSTREAM.
MOST VEHICLES LOSE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD IN SIX INCHES OF WATER
AND CAN BE SWEPT AWAY IN 18-24 INCHES OF WATER. YELLOW WARNING
SIGNS AND PINK INCIDENT SIGNS...COMPLIANT WITH THE FEDERAL
HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS...CAN NOW BE DEPLOYED ON
ROADWAYS WHERE FLOODING OCCURS.
REMEMBER: WHEN APPROACHING A FLOODED ROADWAY...MAKE THE RIGHT
CHOICE...TURN AROUND DON/T DROWN.
FLOODS... DROUGHTS AND RELATED PHENOMINA
THE NATION WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODS AND DROUGHTS THIS YEAR. THE
QUESTION REMAINING IS WHERE. TROPICAL CYCLONE INLAND FLOODING...
SNOWMELT FLOODING...ICE JAMS...AND DEBRIS FLOWS ARE JUST SOME OF
THE FLOOD RELATED PHENOMENA WHICH POSE A THREAT TO AMERICANS.
DETERMINING FLOOD RISK AND CHOOSING 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
NWS...ALONG WITH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS...
INFORMS 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.
NWS IS A LINE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION...AN AGENCY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
NOAA IS DEDICATED TO ENHANCING ECONOMIC SECURITY AND NATIONAL
SAFETY THROUGH THE PREDICTION AND RESEARCH OF WEATHER AND
CLIMATE-RELATED EVENTS AND PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
OF U.S. COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES. THROUGH THE EMERGING
GLOBAL EARTH OBSERVATION SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS...NOAA IS WORKING
WITH ITS FEDERAL PARTNERS AND NEARLY 60 COUNTRIES TO DEVELOP A
GLOBAL MONITORING NETWORK THAT IS AS INTEGRATED AS THE PLANET IT
OBSERVES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...PLEASE CONTACT:
LARRY WENZEL
HYDROLOGIC SERVICES DIVISION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
LARRY.WENZEL@xxxxxxxx
NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS ARE ONLINE AT
/USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM
$$
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