000
NOUS41 KCLE 071301
PNSCLE
OHZ003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-047-089-081400-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OHIO
800 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2014

...OHIO SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK 2014: MARCH 2ND THROUGH
MARCH 8TH. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL FEATURE A DIFFERENT
EDUCATIONAL TOPIC EACH DAY DURING SAFETY WEEK. TODAYS TOPIC:

            ...FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD TERMINOLOGY...

FLOODING HAS OVERTAKEN LIGHTNING AS THE NATIONS LEADER IN WEATHER
RELATED FATALITIES. HEAVY RAIN CAN TURN USUALLY TRANQUIL WATERS
INTO AN INSTRUMENT OF DEATH.

GENERAL RIVER FLOODING USUALLY OCCURS MOST OFTEN IN THE WINTER
MONTHS AS HEAVY RAIN COMBINES WITH SNOW MELT. HOWEVER...FLASH
FLOODING CAN RESULT DUE TO ICE JAMS ON RIVERS AND STREAMS.

FLASH FLOODS ARE MOST COMMON IN THE WARM SEASON OF THE YEAR WHEN
THUNDERSTORMS DROP LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
HILLY AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ARE ESPECIALLY PRONE FOR FLASH
FLOODS.

A FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD WATCH...IS ISSUED WHEN WIDESPREAD FLOODING
AND/OR FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT. WATCHES ARE
USUALLY ISSUED UP TO 18 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF A FLOOD EVENT.

A RIVER FLOOD WARNING...IS ISSUED FOR SPECIFIC POINTS ON INDIVIDUAL
RIVERS AND STREAMS WHEN THE WATERWAY IS EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE A
PREDETERMINED FLOOD STAGE. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS CONTAIN
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT HEIGHT OF THE RIVER...FLOOD STAGE AND
HOW HIGH THE WATER IS EXPECTED TO RISE. WARNINGS ARE USUALLY ISSUED
UP TO 6 HOURS IN ADVANCE.

A GENERAL FLOOD WARNING...IS ISSUED FOR INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES WHEN
FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED TO SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS AS
WELL AS URBAN AREAS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING...IS ISSUED WHEN EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE
EXPECTED TO FALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. STREAMS AND CREEKS CAN
RISE QUICKLY AND WASH AWAY CARS...BUILDINGS AND PEOPLE.

$$

GARNET