Severe Weather Awareness Week For Iowa

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
800 AM CDT MON APR 7 2008
...TODAY BEGINS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN IOWA...
GOVERNOR CHET CULVER...THE IOWA HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT DIVISION...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAVE
DESIGNATED THE WEEK OF APRIL 7TH. TO APRIL 11TH. AS SEVERE WEATHER
AWARENESS WEEK IN IOWA. EACH MORNING THIS WEEK...THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES WILL ISSUE A PUBLIC INFORMATION
STATEMENT FOCUSING ON A DIFFERENT ITEM EACH DAY. TOPICS THIS YEAR
INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING...
MONDAY...FLOODING
TUESDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WEDNESDAY...TORNADOES
THURSDAY... NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO
FRIDAY...FAMILY PREPAREDNESS
ATTENTION MEDIA...IN ORDER FOR SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK TO BE
EFFECTIVE...MEDIA COVERAGE IS CRITICAL. PLEASE USE THE INFORMATION
IN THE PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS IN YOUR NEWS PROGRAMS TO HELP
PROMOTE SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE MEDIA INTERVIEWS.
PLEASE CONTACT JEFF JOHNSON OR THE SENIOR METEOROLOGIST IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED.
TODAY/S TOPIC IS FLOODING
FLOODS CAN OCCUR NATIONWIDE AND ARE THE DEADLIEST WEATHER RELATED
KILLER IN THE UNITED STATES. FLOODING CAN TAKE MANY FORMS FROM RIVER
FLOODING TO URBAN FLOODING TO FLASH FLOODING TO ICE JAMS. ALL OF
THESE TYPES OF FLOODING CAN BE LIFE-THREATENING SO YOU NEED TO TAKE
ACTION IMMEDIATELY.
HERE ARE A FEW TERMS WHICH YOU MAY HEAR NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE USE WHEN IT COMES TO FLOODING.
A FLOOD WATCH OR FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR FLOODING TO OCCUR.
A FLOOD WARNING OR FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS
OCCURRING OR IMMINENT.
MINOR FLOODING IS WHEN MINIMAL OR NO PROPERTY DAMAGE IS EXPECTED TO
OCCUR...BUT THE FLOODING COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE SOME PUBLIC THREAT OR
INCONVENIENCE.
MODERATE FLOODING IS WHEN SOME INUNDATION OF STRUCTURES AND ROADS
NEAR STREAMS WILL OCCUR. SOME EVACUATIONS OF PEOPLE AND/OR A
TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS ARE NECESSARY.
MAJOR FLOODING IS WHEN THERE IS EXTENSIVE INUNDATION OF STRUCTURES
AND ROADS ALONG WITH POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT EVACUATIONS OF PEOPLE
AND/OR TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
HERE ARE SOME FLOOD SAFETY TIPS...
IF FLOODING OCCURS...GET TO HIGHER GROUND AND STAY AWAY FROM FLOOD
PRONE AREAS.
DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY NEAR HIGH WATER...STORM DRAINS OR
DITCHES. HIDDEN DANGERS COULD LIE BENEATH THE WATER.
FLOODED ROADS COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE HIDDEN BY FLOODWATERS.
NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODWATERS OR ON A FLOODED ROAD.
DO NOT CAMP OR PARK YOUR VEHICLE ALONG STREAMS OR WASHES...
PARTICULARLY WHEN THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS EXIST.
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE FLOOD
DANGERS.
NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF
WEATHER...WATER AND CLIMATE INFORMATION. THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OPERATES THE MOST ADVANCED WEATHER AND FLOOD WARNING AND
FORECAST SYSTEM IN THE WORLD HELPING TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY
AND ENHANCE THE NATIONAL ECONOMY.
FOR MORE FLOOD SAFETY INFORMATION...GO TO THE NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY
AWARENESS PAGE AT http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/.
JEFF JOHNSON
WARNING AND COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA http://www.weather.gov/desmoines