SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK: FLOODING

Gov. Kay Ivey has declared Feb. 16-Feb. 23 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Alabama. Severe weather happens at any time of year, but spring and fall are hotbeds of activity. 

Turn around, don’t drown. Flooding is the second-leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the U.S. 

If you’re in a car and come across a flooded road, do not try and cross because you don’t know if the road is washed out or how deep the water goes. It only takes 2 feet of moving water to lift and carry away most vehicles. If you live in a flood zone, be ready to move to higher ground in the event of a flood warning, a flash flood warning or a flood watch.

Flash floods happen when heavy rain falls in a short amount of time, resulting in a sudden water level rise that can be a life-threatening event. Areal flooding happens over a longer period of time with slowly rising flood waters.

River flooding happens gradually, as prolonged periods of heavy rain increase runoff into local streams and rivers and the water level rises over the riverbank.