What is a Flash Flood?

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) categorizes it as a rapid-onset flood. A flash flood can occur quickly with little or no warning, such as during periods of extreme heavy rain. Densely populated areas are at a high risk for flash floods. In urban areas, flash floods can fill underpasses, viaducts, parking structures, low roads, and basements. 

Alerts and Warnings

Flash Flood- A flood that can happen in a few minutes or hours of heavy rainfall, dam/levee failure, or drains overflowing.

Flood Watch- A message that flooding is possible.

Flood Warning- A message that flooding will happen soon (if it hasn’t happened already)

Levee/Dam- A structure to contain or prevent water from overflowing and flooding an area. 

If your area is under a flood warning:

• Find safe shelter right away.
• Do not walk, swim or dive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
• Remember, just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
• Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
• Depending on the type of flooding:
  • Evacuate if told to do so.
  • Move to higher ground or a higher floor.
  • Stay where you are. 

What is lightning?

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds, the air, or the ground. In the early stages of development, air acts as an insulator between the positive and negative charges in the cloud and between the cloud and the ground. When the opposite charges build up enough, this insulating capacity of the air breaks down and there is a rapid discharge of electricity that we know as lightning. The flash of lightning temporarily equalizes the charged regions in the atmosphere until the opposite charges build up again. 

Lightning can occur between opposite charges within the thunderstorm cloud (intra-cloud lightning) or between opposite charges in the cloud and on the ground (cloud-to-ground lightning).

Lightning is one of the oldest observed natural phenomena on earth. It can be seen in volcanic eruptions, extremely intense forest fires, surface nuclear detonations, heavy snowstorms, in large hurricanes, and obviously, thunderstorms.

Alerts and Warnings

• When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! Stop all Activities. Seek shelter in a substantial building or hard top vehicle. Wait 30 minutes after storm to resume activities. Remain in that safe place for 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder. For further information and guidelines go to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service website at www.weather.gov
• Check out https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning. Educators, please visit this link for resources, activities, and games to teach children about lightning dangers.
• Kids, you can find out how to keep your family safe from lightning dangers at this link. Counties, communities, organizations, and large event venues can find a lightning safety toolkit here.
• Check out www.ready.gov for an emergency preparedness plan

Emergency Alert System

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning system that requires radio and TV broadcasters, cable TV, wireless cable systems, satellite and wireline operators to provide the President with capability to address the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency.

We advocate water safety strategies to reduce drowning and aquatic injuries by fostering collaboration among local communities, government agencies and organizations. Through a unified approach, we can and will make our communities swimming pools, aquatic parks, rivers, lakes, and beaches safer.