What is a Flash Flood?

8/12/2020 (Permalink)

Turn around, don't drown!

Annapolis, Maryland is in the middle of Hurricane Season 2020 and the National Weather Service predicts we will have an extremely active season. One hazard Anne Arundel County often sees is flash floods.

Flooding from heavy rains is the second leading cause of fatalities from landfalling tropical cyclones. Widespread torrential rains associated with these storms often cause flooding hundreds of miles inland. This flooding can persist for several days after a storm has dissipated.

Flash floods are the most dangerous kind of floods, because they combine the destructive power of a flood with incredible speed. Flash floods occur when heavy rainfall exceeds the ability of the ground to absorb it.

If your area is under a Flash Flood Warning or a Flood Warning, you need to take action. This means a flash flood is imminent or occurring. If you are in a flood prone area move immediately to high ground.

Water moving at 9 feet per second is a common speed for flash floods. At this speed, water can move rocks weighing almost a hundred pounds. Flash floods carry debris that elevate their potential to damage structures and injure people.Most fatalities in the US from flash flooding are from vehicles driving into flooded roadways.

Turn around, don’t drown!