Wade, North Carolina

the National Weather Service has declared March 15 through 19 as
flood safety awareness week. The National Weather Service in Raleigh
will feature a different educational topic each day during the
awareness week. Today's topic: flood safety.

Is flooding really that big of a deal?
Flooding causes more damage in the United States than any other
weather related event, an average of $4.6 billion a year in the past
20 years. Flooding can occur in any of the 50 states or U.S.
Territories at anytime of the year.

How can I find out if I am in danger from a flood?
NOAA Weather Radio all hazards is one of the best ways to receive
warnings from the National Weather Service. NOAA Weather Radio all
hazards is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting
continuous weather and river information direct from nearby NWS
offices. Also, the NWS web Page identifies where flooding is
occurring: www.Weather.Gov/water.

How do I know how severe a flood will be?
Once a river reaches flood stage, the flood severity categories
used by the NWS include minor flooding, moderate flooding, and major
flooding. Each category has a definition based on property damage
and public threat.

Minor flooding, minimal or no property damage, but possibly some
public threat or inconvenience.

Moderate flooding, some inundation of structures and roads near
streams. Some evacuations of people and... or Transfer of property to
higher elevations are necessary.

Major flooding, extensive inundation of structures and roads.
Significant evacuations of people and... or Transfer of property to
higher elevations.

The impacts of a floods vary locally. For each NWS river forecast
location, flood stage and the stage associated with each of the NWS
flood severity categories are established in cooperation with local
public officials. Increasing river levels above flood stage
constitute minor, moderate, and major flooding. Impacts vary from
one river location to another because a certain river stage height
in one location may have an entirely different impact than the same
level above flood stage at another location.

What is the difference between a flood and flash flood? A flood
occurs when prolonged rainfall over several days, intense rainfall
over a short period of time, or an ice or debris jam causes a river
or stream to overflow and flood the surrounding area. Melting snow
can combine with rain in the winter and early Spring. Severe
thunderstorms can bring heavy rain in the Spring and Summer.
Tropical cyclones can bring intense rainfall to the coastal and
inland states in the Summer and fall.

A flash flood occurs in a much shorter period of time. Commonly it
can occur within six hours of a heavy rain event. However flash
floods can also occur within hours or minutes after a dam or levee
failure, or following a sudden release of water held by an ice or
debris jam, or rapid ponding of water caused by torrential rainfall.
Flash floods can catch people unprepared. You will not always have a
warning that these deadly, sudden floods are coming. So, if you live
in areas prone to flash floods, plan now to protect your family and
property. The use of the word flash here is synonymous with urgent.

Is there anything I can do to prepare for a flood?
How to reduce potential flood damage and what to include in a family
disaster plan can be obtained from the American Red Cross.
The NWS works with and relies on strategic partners involved in
floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, flood preparedness,
and flood warnings to reduce the loss of life and property due to
floods. Key partners include the U.S. Geological survey, fema, the
National hydrologic warning Council, the association of state
floodplain managers, the American Red Cross, the National safety
Council, the federal Alliance for safe homes, the weather channel,
and other media outlets, and many other government and private
sector organizations.