Flash flood safety can be summarized simply..."Turn Around Don't Drown!"

Statistics show that most flash flood fatalities and injuries can be avoided by not driving or walking into flood waters. The National Weather Service's safety awareness program "Turn Around Don't Drown" calls attention to the dangers of driving or walking into floods.  Swift moving water can easily sweep a wader or an automobile downstream and into trouble. Find an alternate route around flood waters or else wait at least 15 to 30 minutes until high water recedes.  A little patience might easily save your life.

Lightning safety can also be summarized simply...move indoors or away from exposed back country areas well before storms get too close. 

The safest action is to move indoors when a thunderstorm approaches.  Most people struck by lightning simply waited too long to seek indoor shelter or else didn't realize that the lightning danger had moved so close. To stay safe, you may just have to cut short the round of golf, suspend the baseball game or soccer match for a while, or else cut short your hike to a mountain peak or long exposed ridge. 

Here's some other flash flood and lightning safety precautions to keep you safe...

  DURING PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS, ALWAYS REMAIN ALERT TO HEAVY RAINS IN YOUR IMMEDIATE AREA, OR UPSTREAM FROM YOUR LOCATION. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RAINING AT YOUR LOCATION FOR FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR.

PLAN YOUR CAMPING SITE CAREFULLY AND AVOID STREAM AREAS WHERE WATER CAN RUSH DOWNSTREAM FROM DISTANT RAIN. PLAN AN ESCAPE ROUTE TO HIGHER GROUND.

KEEP KIDS AWAY FROM DRAINAGE CHANNELS IN THE CITIES AND RURAL DITCHES DURING THUNDERSTORMS. REMEMBER, DITCHES ARE DEADLY.

REMEMBER, ITS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING AT NIGHT.

IN SOME CASES, THUNDERSTORMS MAY NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH RAIN TO FORCE PEOPLE INDOORS EARLY ENOUGH. A WEAK THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE SEVERAL LIGHTNING STRIKES 5 TO 10 MINUTES BEFORE IT YIELDS ANY RAIN. DO NOT GET CAUGHT OFF-GUARD. 

PLAN TO COMPLETE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES BEFORE THE DAILY PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORMS. THIS MIGHT BE AS EARLY AS 11 AM OR NOONTIME OVER THE FAVORED MOUNTAIN RIDGES WHERE THUNDERSTORMS FIRST FORM IN THE SUMMER TIME.

MOVE EVERYONE OFF THE ATHLETIC FIELD, INCLUDING THE FANS, INTO A BUILDING OR INTO THEIR CARS OR TRUCKS IN PLENTY OF TIME. TOO OFTEN TEAMS AND THEIR FANS ARE EXPOSED UNNECESSARILY TO LIGHTNING DANGERS WHILE TRYING TO SQUEEZE IN EXTRA GAME TIME.

YOU MAY FIND DETAILS ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN SAFETY CAMPAIGN AT WEB SITE www.srh.noaa.gov/tadd

THIS IS ALSO NATIONAL LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK. FOR INFORMATION VISIT WEB SITE www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov