[BNAWX] Public Information Statement

[EMWIN Server]

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TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-181600-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
1006 AM CST THU MAR 17 2005

TO:       FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE
          SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER
          INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAAPORT /
          CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS

FROM:     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE, TN

SUBJECT:  2005 NATIONAL FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL HOST THE FIRST ANNUAL FLOOD SAFETY
AWARENESS WEEK FROM MARCH 21-25, 2005. EACH DAY OF THE WEEK WILL
HIGHLIGHT A DIFFERENT ELEMENT OF THE HYDROLOGIC PROGRAM.

MONDAY - ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE (AHPS)
TUESDAY - TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN
WEDNESDAY - TROPICAL CYCLONE INLAND FLOODING
THURSDAY - FLOOD HAZARD MITIGATION
FRIDAY - FLOOD SAFETY

DETAILED INFORMATION ON EACH OF THE TOPICS ABOVE IS AVAILABLE AT:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY

THE GOAL OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS TO HIGHLIGHT WAYS FLOODS OCCUR, THE
HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH FLOODS, AND SAFETY MEASURES TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY. DURING THE 20TH CENTURY, FLOODS WERE THE NUMBER ONE
NATURAL DISASTER IN THE UNITED STATES IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF
LIVES LOST AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. IN THE 20 YEAR PERIOD (1984-2003),
ON AVERAGE, NEARLY 100 PEOPLE DIED ANNUALLY DO TO FLOODING WHILE
FLOOD DAMAGES AVERAGED $4.6 BILLION A YEAR.

FLOODS ARE A UNIQUE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT THAT CAN OCCUR DURING ANY
MONTH OF THE YEAR IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. FROM LONG TERM RIVER FLOODING
AFTER PERSISTENT MODERATE RAIN TO FLASH FLOODING FROM TORRENTIAL RAIN
IN THUNDERSTORMS, THE THREAT EXISTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE (AHPS), IS AN ON-GOING
EFFORT TO MODERNIZE HYDROLOGIC SERVICES FROM FLOODS TO DROUGHTS.
AHPS EXTENDS THE RANGE AND QUANTIFIES THE CERTAINTY OF NWS RIVER
FORECASTS. IT ALSO PROVIDES USER-FRIENDLY VISUAL PRODUCTS
ACCESSIBLE ON THE INTERNET. IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, AHPS HAS BEEN
IMPLEMENTED IN THE FORM OF A WEB PAGE DEPICTING RIVER/STREAM
GAUGE LOCATIONS WHERE STAGE OBSERVATIONS AND FORECASTS ARE
AVAILABLE. LONG RANGE PROBABILISTIC RIVER FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE
IN GRAPHIC FORM FOR THE CUMBERLAND RIVER AT CELINA AND SHOAL CREEK
NEAR IRON CITY.
HTTP://WWW.SRH.WEATHER.GOV/CGI-BIN/AHPS.CGI?OHX

PEOPLE OFTEN UNDERESTIMATE THE FORCE OF WATER. MORE THAN HALF OF
ALL FLOOD-RELATED DEATHS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO VEHICLES THAT ARE SWEPT
DOWNSTREAM. OF THESE DROWNINGS, MANY ARE PREVENTABLE SIMPLY BY NOT
DRIVING OR WALKING ONTO FLOODED ROADS. MOST VEHICLES CAN BE SWEPT
AWAY IN 18-24 INCHES OF WATER. REMEMBER, WHEN APPROACHING A FLOODED
ROADWAY, TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN.

FLOOD LOSES ARE NOT COVERED BY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE. FLOOD
INSURANCE IS AVAILABLE, HOWEVER, TO ANY PROPERTY OWNER IN A
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATING IN THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
AGENCY'S (FEMA) NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM.

THE NOAA WEATHER ALL-HAZARDS RADIO AND THE NWS WEB SITE
HTTP://WWW.SRH.WEATHER.GOV/OHX, ARE AMONG THE BEST SOURCES OF
OFFICIAL FLOOD WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. KNOWING
WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A FLOOD CAN SAVE LIVES AND
PROPERTY.

THE NWS WORKS WITH AND RELIES ON STRATEGIC PARTNERS INVOLVED IN
HYDROLOGIC DATA COLLECTION, FLOOD PLAIN MANAGEMENT, FLOOD HAZARD
MITIGATION, AND FLOOD PREPAREDNESS TO REDUCE THE LOSS OF LIFE AND
PROPERTY DUE TO FLOODS. KEY PARTNERS INCLUDE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, AND THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK SHOULD
BE DIRECTED TO:

MICHAEL MURPHY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
500 WEATHER STATION ROAD
OLD HICKORY, TN 37138
(615) 754-8506
MICHAEL.MURPHY at NOAA.GOV

$$
05

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