PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT   
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR   
   600 AM CST FRI MAR 6 2015   
      
   ...TODAYS TOPIC FOR SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS   
   FLASH FLOODS...   
      
   ARKANSAS GOVERNOR ASA HUTCHINSON HAS PROCLAIMED THE WEEK OF   
   MARCH 1ST THROUGH 7TH AS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK   
   IN ARKANSAS.   
      
   A DIFFERENT TOPIC WILL BE DISCUSSED EACH DAY...AND TODAYS TOPIC   
   IS FLASH FLOODS.   
      
   FLASH FLOODING IS USUALLY CAUSED BY VERY SLOW-MOVING   
   THUNDERSTORMS...OR THUNDERSTORMS THAT REPEATEDLY MOVE OVER   
   THE SAME AREAS.   
      
   URBAN SETTINGS ARE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO FLASH FLOODS DUE TO LARGE   
   AMOUNTS OF CONCRETE AND ASPHALT SURFACES THAT DO NOT ALLOW   
   WATER TO PENETRATE INTO THE SOIL.   
      
   PLACES SURROUNDED BY STEEP...HILLY TERRAIN ARE ALSO SUSCEPTIBLE   
   TO FLASH FLOODS DUE TO RAPID RUNOFF /WATER MOVING DOWNHILL AT   
   ELEVATED SPEEDS/ INTO STREAMS AND CREEKS.   
      
   IN THE LAST 30 YEARS...FLASH FLOODING WAS THE DEADLIEST   
   THUNDERSTORM HAZARD...AND CAUSED MORE FATALITIES THAN   
   TORNADOES AND LIGHTNING. THERE ARE AN AVERAGE OF 90 FATALITIES   
   ANNUALLY DUE TO FLASH FLOODS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.   
      
   ROUGHLY HALF OF FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO   
   DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED AREAS. MOVING WATER TWO FEET DEEP IS   
   SUFFICIENT TO CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES...EVEN PICKUP TRUCKS   
   AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES.   
      
   IN ARKANSAS...MOST OF THE MAJOR FLASH FLOODS OCCUR AT NIGHT   
   WHEN THE DANGER IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE. IN 2010...   
   THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER ROSE MORE THAN 20 FEET DURING THE   
   PREDAWN HOURS OF JUNE 11TH. THIS WAS AFTER MORE THAN HALF A   
   FOOT OF RAIN. CAMPERS AT THE ALBERT PIKE RECREATION AREA   
   /MONTGOMERY COUNTY/ WERE AWAKENED TO RAGING WATER...AND   
   20 PEOPLE DROWNED.   
      
   ...FLASH FLOOD SAFETY RULES...   
      
   YOU SHOULD KNOW WHICH PLACES IN YOUR AREA ARE PRONE TO   
   FLOODING...AND AVOID THESE PLACES IN TIMES OF RISING WATER.   
      
   DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOWING STREAMS WHILE DRIVING OR   
   ON FOOT.   
      
   IF FLOOD WATERS ARE BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR DESTINATION...THE   
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WANTS YOU TO REMEMBER A SIMPLE SLOGAN:   
   TURN AROUND - DONT DROWN.   
      
   OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ARE VERY POPULAR IN ARKANSAS. IF YOU ENJOY   
   CAMPING OR SIMILAR RECREATION...BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL IF YOU   
   SPEND THE NIGHT NEAR STREAMS. A THUNDERSTORM MILES UPSTREAM   
   FROM YOUR LOCATION COULD PRODUCE ENOUGH RAIN TO CAUSE FLOODING...   
   EVEN IF IT IS NOT RAINING MUCH WHERE YOU ARE.   
      
   NEVER ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY AROUND HIGH WATER...STORM DRAINS...   
   AND CULVERTS.   
      
   &&   
      
   FOR A LIST OF ALL THE TORNADOES AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT WEATHER   
   EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN 2014...   
      
   HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/IMAGES/LZK/PDF/STORMSOF2014.PDF   
      
   $$   
      
      
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