SWAW Day 3 Flash Floods

Once again, it's Severe Weather Awareness Week here in Minnesota and Wisconsin, brought to you by the National Weather Service along with the Divisions of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Each day a new topic of severe weather will once again be covered:

Monday: Thunderstorms, Hail, Wind and Lightning
Tuesday: Severe Weather Watches and Warnings, and How to Receive Severe Weather Information
Wednesday: Flash Floods
Thursday: Tornadoes (Including Two Tornado Drills)
Friday: Heat Waves

We will bring you this information every day from the National Weather Service, including a special post later today outlining procedures for Thursdays Tornado Drills. Today's subject is Flash Floods. We hope you find this information informative and helpful as we enter severe weather season and remember to stick with this blog for the very latest on severe weather throughout the season.

More on Flood Safety from the NWS

On a National Level...
Floods claim nearly 200 lives annually, force 300,000 persons from their homes, and result in property damage in excess of 2 billion dollars. Characteristically, 75 percent of flash flood deaths occur at night with half of the victims dying in their automobiles or other vehicles. It may be difficult to believe, but many deaths occur when persons knowingly drive around road barricades indicating the road is washed out ahead.
There were no flood-related fatalities or injuries in Minnesota or Wisconsin in 2009.

In 2008...
Wisconsin had one flood-related fatality in 2008, late on June 12th near Wales, when a man drove into a flooded area. Minnesota also had one flood-related fatality in 2008.  This occurred on June 12th near Oakland when a man drove into a flooded area

In 2007...
Disastrous flooding struck southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin on August 18th and 19th. Eight people died that weekeend...  7 in Minnesota and 1 in Wisconsin. Most deaths occurred in vehicles. A statewide record for 24-hour rainfall was set in Minnesota when 15.1 inches fell 1 mile south of Hokah.

Are You Prepared?
Assume a thunderstorm produces 6 inches of rain in less than 6 hours time near your community. Storms of this magnitude or greater occur several times each year in the U.S.  Would you know what action to take to protect yourself and the people who depend on you for safety? After a major flood event, one of the most common quotes from the survivors of the flood is the expression they did not believe it could happen to them or in their community.

Before the Flooding...
There is nothing anyone can do to prevent the occurrence of flash flood producing rainfall. However, by striving for sound flood plain zoning, developing an emergency action plan in advance of the disaster, purchasing flood insurance at least 30 days before the flooding, and being aware of the dangers associated with extremely heavy rainfall and flooding, there is a chance of decreasing the death toll and property damage that results from flash flooding.