Jeromesville, Ohio

... This public information statement is in conjunction with the
Pennsylvania severe weather awareness week...

River floods... an inevitable part of life along the rivers of our
country.

It is a commonly held belief that floods only occur in the
Spring. In fact... floods can... and do happen at any time of the
year. The 1985-86 winter season in western Pennsylvania was the
year of the Holiday floods. A record breaking flood occurred on
election day... followed in rapid succession by floods from heavy
rains on Veterans Day... and yet another for Thanksgiving day.
With the New Year came a flood on Martin Luther King day and
another on presidents day.

On the 19th and 20th of January 1996... Pennsylvania was recovering
from the blizzard of 96. There was still a substantial snowpack (15
to 25 inches) across much of the area. In addition... the snowpack
had become "ripe" (from melting and previous rains... the snow
possessed a very high water content). A slow moving weather system
tapped plenty of Gulf moisture and produced /2.5/ inches to nearly
/4.5/ inches of rain in a 24-hour period. Major to near-record
flooding ensued.

A river Flood Warning is issued when a flood is imminent or is in
progress at a certain point in a river basin. Floods begin when
the soil cannot absorb falling rain or melting snow. Water
begins to run off the land in very large quantities. It can not
be carried away quickly enough in stream channels... or be
retained in existing natural ponds or man-made reservoirs.

Flood Warning and crest stage forecasts are distributed to the
public through NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio and
television stations... and emergency management agencies. The
Flood Warning includes the affected river... the expected degree
of flooding... when flooding will begin... and the maximum river
level or crest at specific forecast points along the river.

Knowledge is a key factor in preventing or reducing flood losses.
If you live near a river... it is very important that you know
your elevation above flood stage. You should understand what
stage the river must reach for your property to be affected. You
can obtain this information at your municipality's engineering
office.

For example... if you know that your basement begins to flood when
the river stage reaches 15 feet... and the river is forecast to
crest at 18 feet... you could protect your possessions simply by
moving them upstairs.

Some important safety rules to remember...

-keep first aid supplies on hand.
-Keep a portable battery operated radio... lights and flashlights
in working order.
-Know your evacuation Route and be ready to move to a safe area
before your access is cutoff by flood waters.
-Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio... or commercial radio and
television for the latest warnings and information.
-Conditions can change rapidly... crest stage forecasts can be
revised.
-The latest information from the National Weather Service and
emergency management officials may save your life.