National Weather Service Raw Text Product

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
640 AM EDT FRI MAR 21 2014

...THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...

TODAYS TOPIC IS FLOOD SAFETY.

FLOODING CAN OCCUR FROM A VARIETY OF CAUSES ALL YEAR ROUND.
SO...WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF...YOUR LOVED ONES AND YOUR 
PROPERTY FROM THE DANGERS OF FLOODING...THAT IS THE GOAL OF FLOOD 
SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK.

FIRST AND FOREMOST...IF YOU ENCOUNTER A FLOODED ROAD...ESPECIALLY
ONE IN WHICH WATER IS FLOWING OVER...TURN AROUND AND FIND AN
ALTERNATE ROUTE. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH A FLOODED ROAD. YOU ARE
PLACING YOURSELF AND THOSE WITH YOU IN GRAVE DANGER. THIS IS HOW 50
PERCENT OF ALL FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN THE UNITED STATES. TURN 
AROUND...DONT DROWN.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECASTS ESPECIALLY
IF YOU LIVE...WORK OR HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH A FLOOD PRONE AREA.
NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES FLOOD WATCHES WHEN THE
POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS
AND ALONG STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS. WHEN A FLOOD WATCH IS ISSUED
...IT MEANS THAT THERE IS ABOUT A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF FLOODING.

WHEN A WATCH IS IN EFFECT...YOU SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR STREAMS NEAR
YOUR RESIDENCE AND BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE 
SHOULD FLOODING OCCUR OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. IF YOU HAVE TO 
EVACUATE...YOU WILL WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU BRING ENOUGH SUPPLIES TO 
LAST FOR AT LEAST 3 DAYS OR LONGER. THIS INCLUDES AT LEAST ONE 
CHANGE OF CLOTHING FOR EACH PERSON...A BLANKET OR SLEEPING BAG PER 
PERSON...MEDICINE...A RADIO...CASH AND CREDIT CARDS AND SPECIAL 
ITEMS FOR THE ELDERLY...INFANTS OR DISABLED FAMILY MEMBERS.

A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED WITH AT LEAST 80 PERCENT FORECAST 
CONFIDENCE. WHEN YOU RECEIVE A FLOOD WARNING...EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY 
IF ADVISED TO DO SO. DO NOT DRIVE IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TO. GET OUT OF 
AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING. NEVER TRY TO WALK...SWIM...DRIVE OR PLAY 
IN FLOOD WATERS. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE HOLES OR SUBMERGED 
DEBRIS. BE CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE FLOOD 
DANGERS.

THE BEST WAY TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ON FLOOD WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES IS THROUGH NOAAS ALL HAZARD RADIO...A SPECIAL KIND OF
RADIO STATION DEVOTED TO WEATHER FORECASTS AND WARNINGS. THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OPERATES OVER 900 OF THESE RADIO STATIONS
NATIONWIDE. BROADCASTS CAN BE HEARD FROM NEW YORK CITY AND MONTVILLE
CT ON 162.55 MHZ...FROM RIVERHEAD ON 162.475 MHZ AND FROM MERIDEN ON
162.40 MHZ. MANY SCANNERS AND SPECIAL WEATHER RADIOS SOLD AT MOST
ELECTRONICS STORES CAN PICK UP THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO FREQUENCIES 
WHEN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A FLOOD WATCH OR WARNING.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK USE THIS WEB SITE...

HTTP://WWW.FLOODSAFETY.NOAA.GOV

IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...CONTACT GARY CONTE AT 
GARY.CONTE@NOAA.GOV OR NANCY FURBUSH AT NANCY.FURBUSH@NOAA.GOV.