National Weather Service Raw Text Product

333 
NOUS44 KJAN 131341
PNSJAN

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
841 AM CDT TUE MAR 13 2012


      ...2012 NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...

              DAY 2  TUESDAY MARCH 13 2012

TODAY IS THE SECOND DAY OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICES ANNUAL 
FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK. THE PURPOSE OF THE WEEK IS TO RAISE 
PUBLIC ATTENTION TO THE DANGERS OF FLOODING AND WAYS TO PROTECT LIFE 
AND PROPERTY.

TODAY...WE WILL FOCUS ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICES "TURN AROUND 
DON'T DROWN" (TADD) CAMPAIGN. TADD IS A CAMPAIGN TO WARN PEOPLE OF 
THE HAZARDS OF WALKING OR DRIVING A VEHICLE THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.

EACH YEAR...MORE DEATHS OCCUR DUE TO FLOODING THAN FROM ANY OTHER 
SEVERE WEATHER RELATED HAZARD. THE MAIN REASON IS PEOPLE 
UNDERESTIMATE THE FORCE AND POWER OF WATER. MORE THAN HALF OF ALL 
FLOOD DEATHS RESULT FROM VEHICLES BEING SWEPT DOWNSTREAM. ALL IT 
TAKES IS 18 TO 24 INCHES OF FAST FLOWING WATER TO SWEEP AN 
AUTOMOBILE OR TRUCK DOWNSTREAM. 

MISSISSIPPI...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS HAVE HAD 
THEIR SHARE OF RIVER FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING OVER THE YEARS. OUR 
PROXIMITY TO THE GULF OF MEXICO LEAVES US SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIGH 
RAINFALL RATES ANYTIME DURING THE YEAR.  AVOID DRIVING YOUR CAR INTO 
FLOODED AREAS...ESPECIALLY FAST FLOWING STREAMS. THE CURRENT MAY 
SWEEP YOU DOWNSTREAM! REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN! ROAD BEDS 
MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN WASHED OUT BY A SWIFT CURRENT! REMEMBER...TURN 
AROUND DON'T DROWN! IN OUR AREA...PEOPLE HAVE DROWN BY DRIVING THEIR 
CARS INTO FLOWING STREAMS AND WASHED OUT ROADWAYS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ON TADD... GO TO THE FOLLOWING 
WEBSITES:  

WWW.TADD.WEATHER.GOV

OR  

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY


$$