NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-055>057-062-211400-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
800 AM EST FRI FEB 18 2005

...NEXT WEEK IS FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW YORK STATE...

THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 20-26, 2005 HAS BEEN DECLARED FLOOD AWARENESS
WEEK BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NEW YORK STATE EMERGENCY 
MANAGEMENT OFFICE. FLOODING KILLS MORE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ON 
AN ANNUAL BASIS THAN ANY OTHER STORM-RELATED WEATHER HAZARD. ABOUT 
110 PEOPLE SUCCUMB TO THE RAVAGES OF FLOODING EACH YEAR IN THE U.S. 

NEW YORK STATE IS HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO FLOODS. FLOODS CAN OCCUR ANYTIME 
OF YEAR IN THE EMPIRE STATE AND FROM A VARIETY OF CAUSES. ICE JAMS...
SNOWMELT...HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS...NOR'EASTERS AND TROPICAL 
SYSTEMS ALL CAUSE FLOODING IN NEW YORK. THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY THAT 
WE ENJOY IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO OUR VULNERABILITY 
TO FLOODS. HILLS...MOUNTAINS...LAKES AND OUR EXPANSIVE RIVER SYSTEMS 
AND WATERWAYS ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE RISK OF FLOODING WHEN TOO 
MUCH RAIN AND RUNOFF OCCUR. THIS MAKES NEW YORK PARTICULARLY 
VULNERABLE TO FLOODING.

IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, 34 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY FLOODING IN NEW YORK.
FLOOD-RELATED DAMAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A BILLION DOLLARS. 
MANY OF THESE DEATHS CAN BE AVOIDED IF PEOPLE ARE PROPERLY PREPARED
AND UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF WATER. THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF FLOOD DEATHS
IS WHEN PEOPLE ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH A FLOODED ROADWAY. MANY OF 
THESE FLOOD DEATHS CAN BE AVOIDED THROUGH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. 

THE SPRING FLOOD SEASON IS FAST APPROACHING IN UPSTATE NEW YORK. 
AS OF THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY, THE LATEST SPRING FLOOD POTENTIAL 
OUTLOOK IS CALLING FOR A NORMAL CHANCE FOR SPRING FLOODING, EXCEPT IN 
THE FINGER LAKES REGION WHERE THE RISK IS ABOVE NORMAL DUE TO 
ON-GOING ICE JAM FLOOD PROBLEMS. HIGH SNOWPACK IS A BIG CONTRIBUTOR 
TO SPRING FLOOD POTENTIAL. THIS YEAR, SNOWPACK IS BELOW NORMAL...
BUT WATER TABLES AND GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL. 
SO DESPITE LESS SNOWPACK...WE ARE AT AVERAGE RISK FOR 
SPRING FLOODING. 

TO HELP NEW YORKER'S PREPARE, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
AND THE NEW YORK STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE HAS DECLARED 
NEXT WEEK...FEBRUARY 20-26...AS FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK. EACH DAY
WE WILL FOCUS ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC REGARDING FLOODING AND SEND
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, THE NOAA
WEATHER WIRE AND THE INTERNET. FEEL FREE TO BROADCAST, PRINT OR
USE THE INFORMATION IN THESE PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS AS YOU SEE
FIT. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS ASKING THE MEDIA AND EMERGENCY
MANAGERS TO HELP US EDUCATE THE PUBLIC CONCERNING THE DANGER OF
FLOODS. THAT IS THE GOAL OF NEXT WEEK. 

THE TOPICS THAT WE WILL FOCUS ON NEXT WEEK ARE AS FOLLOWS: 

MONDAY: SNOWMELT AND ICE JAMS (SPRING FLOOD OUTLOOK)
TUESDAY: FLASH FLOODING
WEDNESDAY: TROPICAL STORM FLOODING
THURSDAY: FLOOD PREPAREDNESS AND SAFETY
FRIDAY: FLOOD FORECASTING INCLUDING AHPS
SATURDAY: REVIEW OF FLOOD SAFETY 


FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK 
CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE: 

http://weather.gov/bgm/FloodWeekNY2005.htm

YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT DAVE NICOSIA WARNING COORDINATION 
METEOROLOGIST FOR NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN 
BINGHAMTON AT 607-770-9531 X 223 OR VIA EMAIL
DAVID.NICOSIA@NOAA.GOV


NICOSIA