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Social Media: Flood Safety

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Social Media: Flood Safety
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Please help the NWS spread these important safety messages on social media! Everyone is welcome to use the text and images provided below to help the NWS build a Weather-Ready Nation.

What Weather-Ready Looks Like: Floods

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What does being Weather-Ready look like? When it comes to flood safety, it means knowing to never drive around barricades or through flooded roads -- the cause of most flood fatalities. Learn more flood safety tips at weather.gov/safety/flood

Twitter
What does being #WeatherReady look like? When it comes to flood safety, it means knowing to never drive around barricades or through flooded roads -- the cause of most flood fatalities. Learn more flood safety tips at weather.gov/safety/flood

What does Weather-Ready look like? During floods: Motorists who never drive around barricades or through flooded roads.

 

Turn Around Don't Drown PSA

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We apologize in advance for this jingle getting stuck in your head, but we’d do anything to help you remember to Turn Around, Don’t Drown. weather.gov/flood

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We apologize in advance for this jingle getting stuck in your head, but we’d do anything to help you remember to #TurnAroundDontDrown weather.gov/flood #WeatherReady

 

 

What is a 500-year flood? (video)

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The term 500-year flood doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s only going to happen one time every 500 years. Rather, it’s a reference to the probability of occurrence. youtu.be/eQFyaXDH42U

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The term 500-year flood doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s only going to happen one time every 500 years. Rather, it’s a reference to the probability of occurrence. youtu.be/eQFyaXDH42U #WeatherReady

 

Survivor Story: Flood

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"I would have surely lost the vehicle and maybe our lives...just saying 'Turn Around Don't Drown' saved life and property."
You never know if the road is even below that muddy water anymore. weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown

Twitter
"I would have surely lost the vehicle and maybe our lives...just saying 'Turn Around Don't Drown' saved life and property."
You never know if the road is even below that muddy water anymore. weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown #WeatherReady

I was driving a half-ton 4x4 which provides some comfort about not getting stuck in the mud. As I drove down the dirt road, I came across a low-water cement bridge. The bridge was completely covered in water, but not deep. I made a critical decision to turn around and drive the long way around to another highway. The next morning the water had receded and there was a huge hole — the water had washed away the dirt where the road met the cement. I would have surely lost the vehicle and maybe our lives…just saying “Turn Around and Don’t Drown” saved life and property. -- Julie, Nashville, TN, 2018 

 

Science of River Flooding

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Water is essential for life on Earth. But in large enough quantities, the very substance we drink and use to grow crops can destroy homes, businesses, and cause fatalities. Learn all about the science of river flooding in the infographic below, and visit weather.gov/safety/flood for flood safety tips.

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Learn all about the science of river flooding with this graphic, and visit weather.gov/safety/flood for flood safety tips. #WeatherReady

SCIENCE OF RIVER FLOODING - Water is essential for life on Earth. But in large enough quantities, the very substance we drink and use to grow crops can destroy homes, businesses and cause fatalities. River flooding occurs when river levels rise & overflow their banks or the edges of their main channel and inundate normally dry areas. River flooding can be caused by heavy rainfall, dam failures, rapid snowmelt and ice jams. Six Steps to Create a River Model Hydrologic Cycle: Hydrologists try to understand and simulate the natural hydrologic cycle, which is the intricate combination of many processes such as evaporation, transpiration, precipitation, infiltration, interflow, groundwater storage, and runoff. Precipitation: Precipitation is the primary input to basin hydrologic processes and serves as the primary driver of hydrologic models. Accurate representation of precipitation input is an important intial step. Small river channel systems are very sensitive to rainfall. Runoff: The next step is to compute the amount of precipitation that appears in surface water within a relatively short time from the onset of a storm event. This is runoff. Runoff consists of 3 components: overland flow, rain falling directly on surface water bodies, and interflow. Unit Hydrograph: After computing basin runoff, the next step is to calculate a forecast hydrograph in units of discharge. A hydrograph is a plot of the change of stage or discharge with respect to time. Discharge is the volume of water flowing past a location per unit time and is usually expressed in cubic feet per second (cfs). Streamflow Data: Scientists use streamflow measurements to capture the vital relationship between discharge (volume flow rate) and stage (height) for a given location. This can only be done by taking streamflow measurements at different river levels and noting the corresponding stages. This relation is called a rating curve. Routing: Hydrologists analyze and interpret how the water moves once it’s in the river and how a flood wave is modified due to the effects of storage and friction as it moves downstream. So, what happens upstream affects the entire downstream community. 

 

Stay Out of Floodwaters

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Play in the pool, not in floodwaters! Floodwaters can contain harmful chemicals and objects that could harm you or make you sick.
noaa.gov/resource-collections/watersheds-flooding-pollution

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Play in the pool, not in floodwaters! Floodwaters can contain harmful chemicals and objects that could harm you or make you sick. #WeatherReady
noaa.gov/resource-collections/watersheds-flooding-pollution

Play in the Pool, Not in Floodwaters! Floodwaters can contain chemicals, sewage, and disease. Unseen underwater debris can be sharp and cause injury. Water depth can change unexpectedly (storm drains, washed-out roads)

 

Flash Floods and Rain

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Heavy rainfall can bring a danger of flash flooding, but sometimes even light/moderate rainfall can trigger dangerous floods. Dry streambeds can become raging torrents in minutes with no rain in sight! Stay safe from floodwaters and learn more at weather.gov/safety/flood

Twitter
Heavy rainfall can bring a danger of flash flooding, but sometimes even light/moderate rainfall can trigger dangerous floods. Dry streambeds can become raging torrents in minutes with no rain in sight! Stay safe from floodwaters and learn more at weather.gov/safety/flood #WeatherReady

How Much Rain Can Cause Flash Flooding in Your Area? Even a little rain can cause a lot of flash flooding. Dry stream beds can become raging torrents in minutes with no rain in sight!

 

Flood Warning vs. Watch

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A flood WARNING means TAKE ACTION. A flood WATCH means BE PREPARED. When a Warning occurs, it means flooding is imminent or already occurring. When a Flood Watch is in effect, it means flooding is possible in your area. weather.gov/safety/flood-watch-warning

Twitter
A flood WARNING means TAKE ACTION. A flood WATCH means BE PREPARED. When a Warning occurs, it means flooding is imminent or already occurring. When a Flood Watch is in effect, it means flooding is possible in your area. weather.gov/safety/flood-watch-warning #WeatherReady

Flood Warning: A Flood Warning is issued when flooding is happening or will happen soon. Move to higher ground. Never drive through flooded roads. Flood Watch: A Flood Watch is issued when flooding is possible. Stay tuned to radio/TV, follow weather.gov and be ready to seek higher ground. Learn more at weather.gov/flood 

 

3 Steps for Flash Floods

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During a flood, water levels and the rate at which the water is flowing can quickly change. Get to higher ground. Do not drive or walk into water. It only takes 6 inches of water to knock you off your feet. Stay informed by monitoring local radio and television for updates. weather.gov/safety/flood

Twitter
During a flood, water levels and the rate at which the water is flowing can quickly change. Get to higher ground. Do not drive or walk into water. It only takes 6 inches of water to knock you off your feet. weather.gov/safety/flood #WeatherReady

3 Steps for Flash Floods: 1. Get to higher ground (get out of the areas subject to flooding). 2. Do not drive into water (do NOT drive or walk into flooded areas. It only takes 6 inches of water to knock you off your feet). 3. Stay informed: Monitor local radar, television, weather radio, internet or social media for updates. During a flood, water levels and the rate at which the water is flowing can quickly change. Remain aware and monitor local radio and television. WHEN FLOODED TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN

 

Driving Around Barricades

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NEVER drive around barricades into floodwaters! More than 50% of all flood fatalities are vehicle-related. It only takes 12 inches of fast-moving water to carry off a small car and 18 inches of water to sweep a larger vehicle away. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown

Twitter
NEVER drive around barricades into floodwaters! Most flood fatalities are vehicle-related. It only takes 12 inches of fast-moving water to carry off a small car and 18 inches of water to sweep a larger vehicle away. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown
#WeatherReady

Never Drive Around Barricades. Most flood fatalities occur in vehicles. 12 inches of fast-moving water can sweep a car off the road.

 

Infographic - Power of Water

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Don’t underestimate the power of water. It only takes 6 inches of fast-moving water to knock over and carry away an adult, and 12 inches to carry away a small car. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown

Twitter
Don’t underestimate the power of water. It only takes 6 inches of fast-moving water to knock over and carry away an adult, and 12 inches to carry away a small car. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown #WeatherReady

Don't underestimate the power of water! 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over and carry away an adult. 12 inches of fast-moving water can carry away a small car. 18-24 inches of fast-moving water can carry away most large SUVs, vans and trucks. 

 

Infographic - How Deep Is the Water?

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NEVER drive or walk into floodwaters. It is impossible to know how deep the water is just by looking at it. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown

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NEVER drive or walk into floodwaters. It is impossible to know how deep the water is just by looking at it. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown #WeatherReady

Do you really know how deep the water is? 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over and carry away an adult. 12 inches of fast-moving water can carry away a small car. 18-24 inches of fast-moving water can carry away most large SUVs, vans and trucks.

 

Turn Around Don’t Drown Video

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Driving into floodwaters could be the last decision you ever make. Turn Around Don’t Drown! https://youtu.be/eI6mIlHKrVY

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Driving into floodwaters could be the last decision you ever make. Turn Around Don’t Drown! https://youtu.be/eI6mIlHKrVY #WeatherReady

Turn Around Don't Drown Video

 

Flood Watch

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A Flood Watch means BE PREPARED. When a Flood Watch is in effect, it means flooding is possible in your area. During a Flood Watch, check the forecast regularly, and be prepared to move to higher ground. weather.gov/safety/flood-watch-warning

Twitter
A Flood Watch means BE PREPARED. When a Flood Watch is in effect, it means flooding is possible in your area. During a Flood Watch, check the forecast regularly, and be prepared to move to higher ground. weather.gov/safety/flood-watch-warning #WeatherReady

Flood Watch means be prepared! Flooding is possible. Check for forecast updates. Be prepared to move to higher ground. Stay weather-ready 

 

Flood Warning

Facebook
A Flood Warning means TAKE ACTION NOW! When a Flood Warning is issued, it means flooding is imminent or already occurring. Move to higher ground immediately, and use extra caution if driving. weather.gov/safety/flood-watch-warning

Twitter
A Flood Warning means TAKE ACTION NOW! When a Flood Warning is issued, it means flooding is imminent or already occurring. Move to higher ground immediately, and use extra caution if driving. weather.gov/safety/flood-watch-warning #WeatherReady

Flood Warning means take action now! Flooding is expected. Use extra cuation when driving. Move to higher ground immediately. Check for forecast updates. Stay weather-ready

 

Hiking or Camping

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Are you planning to camp or hike near a stream or river? Remember that it doesn’t have to rain directly over you for there to be flooding. If you notice even a slight rise in water level, seek higher ground immediately! weather.gov/safety/flood-during

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Are you planning to camp or hike near a stream or river? Remember that it doesn’t have to rain directly over you for there to be flooding. If you notice even a slight rise in water level, seek higher ground immediately! weather.gov/safety/flood-during #WeatherReady

Beware of floods when going camping.

 

Driving through Floodwaters

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More than 50% of all flood fatalities are vehicle-related. You never know how deep the water is or if the road has been washed away or compromised beneath the water. Don’t risk driving into floodwaters. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown

Twitter
More than 50% of all flood fatalities are vehicle-related. You never know how deep the water is or if the road has been washed away or compromised beneath the water. Don’t risk driving into floodwaters. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown #WeatherReady

Never drive through floodwaters. Most flood fatalities occur in vehicles. 12 inches of water can sweep a car off the road.

 

Flooding - Prepare

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Flooding can occur during any time of the year. As a result, it’s always best to be prepared! To learn more about flooding and how you can prepare before it happens, visit weather.gov/safety/flood.

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Flooding can occur any time of the year. Be prepared, visit weather.gov/safety/flood #WeatherReady

Prepare for flooding before it happens. Are you located in a floodplain? What is the fastest way to higher ground? What roads nearby are most likely to flood?

 

Debris Flows

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Debris flows often happen in areas where excessive rain causes soil to become so saturated it turns into very runny mud. The mud then races downhill, picking up debris such as fallen branches, tree trunks, and rocks as it goes. Debris flows can bury homes under piles of mud and debris. Know the risks of the area where you live, so you can prepare your family and home before heavy rains threaten your area. weather.gov/safety/flood-hazards photo:FEMA

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Debris flows can bury homes under a pile of mud and debris. Learn more: weather.gov/safety/flood-hazards (photo: @fema) #WeatherReady

Heavy rain can cause debris flows. Debris flows occur when heavy rain causes the soil to give way and slide downhill. Homes in the path can be completely destroyed.

 

Burn Scars

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If you live, work, or spend recreational time outside near an area recently affected by a wildfire, keep in mind that it will not take much rainfall to cause flooding. Land that was recently burned by a wildfire is called a “burn scar,” and when rain falls over a burn scar, the ground is unable to absorb much of the water, which often results in flash flooding.
weather.gov/safety/flood-hazards photo:FEMA

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Land burned by wildfire is at risk for flash flooding. weather.gov/safety/flood-hazards (photo: @fema) #WeatherReady

Burn scars are a flood risk. Rapid rainfall runoff over burned areas can cause flash flooding. Stay weather-ready if you are in or near an area affected by a wildfire.

 

Walking Into Floodwaters

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Six inches of swiftly moving water can knock an adult off his or her feet. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood

Twitter
Six inches of swiftly moving water can knock an adult off his or her feet. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood #WeatherReady

Never walk into floodwaters. It only takes 6 inches of moving water to knock an adult off his or her feet.

 

Putting Your Life and Your Rescuer’s Life at Risk

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When you drive into floodwaters, you’re not only putting your own life at risk, but also the lives of your rescuers. It’s far better to be late and remain safe than to take a risk and possibly lose your life. Turn Around Don’t Drown! weather.gov/safety/flood photo: FEMA

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You are putting your rescuers’ lives at risk when you drive into floodwaters. weather.gov/safety/flood (photo: @fema) #WeatherReady

Driving into flood waters also puts rescuers' lives at risk. Turn Around Don't Drown.

 

Types of Flooding in Your State

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It's important to know what kind of flooding you can expect in your area so that you know how to prepare. Visit weather.gov/safety/flood-map to find out what kind of flooding could impact your home!

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Know what kind of flooding you can expect in your area. weather.gov/safety/flood-map #WeatherReady

Learn about flooding in your state. What kind of flooding can you expect? Find out at weather.gov/floodsafety

 

Create a Communications Plan

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Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes so it is important to plan in advance. How will you get to a safe place? How will you contact one another? How and where will you get back together? What will you do in different situations? To find out how, visit ready.gov/make-a-plan

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How will you stay in touch during a disaster? Make a plan! ready.gov/make-a-plan #WeatherReady

Make a communications plan. Find out how at ready.gov/make-a-plan