PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

1150 AM EDT WED MAY 3 2000

FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD EVENTS CAN OCCUR ANYTIME OF YEAR IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. WEATHER SYSTEMS RANGING FROM A LATE SUMMER HURRICANE TO WINTERTIME NOREASTERS CAN DROP LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

FLASH FLOODING REFERS TO FLOODING WHICH FOLLOWS WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF HEAVY OR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. FLASH FLOODING CAN ALSO DEVELOP DUE TO A DAM FAILURE OR ICE JAM. THE INUNDATION OCCURS RAPIDLY AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

FLOODING REFERS TO THE INUNDATION OF NORMALLY DRY AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. FLOODING DEVELOPS AS A RESULT OF INCREASED WATER LEVELS ALONG RIVERS AND STREAMS, OR FROM PONDING OF WATER AT OR NEAR THE POINT AT WHICH THE RAIN FELL

MANY OF THE WIDESPREAD FLOOD EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE LATE WINTER AND SPRING. THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY RAINS AND MELTING SNOWS RESULTS IN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN RUNOFF INTO THE RIVER CHANNELS. ONE OF THE WORST SNOWMELT FLOOD EVENTS IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY OCCURRED IN MARCH 1936 FROM THESE CONDITIONS. BACK TO BACK RAINSTORMS PRODUCING 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN COMBINED WITH THE MELTING OF A 1 TO 3 FOOT SNOWPACK TO PRODUCE ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATING FLOODS IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY.

MORE RECENTLY, IN OCTOBER OF 1996, A DEVELOPING NOREASTER AND MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE LILI PRODUCED 10 TO 13 INCHES OF RAIN OVER NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS RESULTING IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.

SUMMERTIME THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CAUSED CONSIDERABLE FLASH FLOODING. IN JUNE OF 1996, A COMPLEX OF SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED 5 TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST 4 HOURS OVER MONTAGUE AND LEVERETT MASSACHUSETTS. FLASH FLOODING WASHED OUT ROADS AND BRIDGES WHILE ALSO FLOODING DOZENS OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES.

LASTLY, ONE MUST NEVER IGNORE THE THREAT OF AN APPROACHING HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM. NEW ENGLANDERS TEND TO ASSOCIATE HURRICANES WITH WIDESPREAD COASTAL DAMAGE DUE TO THE STORM SURGE OR INLAND DAMAGE FROM HIGH WINDS. IN FACT, NEARLY HALF OF THE TROPICAL SYSTEMS THAT HAVE IMPACTED NEW ENGLAND IN THE PAST 100 YEARS HAVE PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT RIVER AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.

JUST LAST SEPTEMBER, TROPICAL STORM FLOYD PASSED ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND PRODUCING 6 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS. THIS RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD SMALL RIVER AND STREAM FLOODING IN THE LOWER CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY. THE GREATEST RAIN PRODUCER OF ALL OCCURRED IN AUGUST OF 1955 WHEN SLOW MOVING TROPICAL STORM DIANE PRODUCED A RECORD 18.15 INCHES OF RAIN IN 24 HOURS OVER THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD MASSACHUSETTS. THEIR STORM TOTAL OVER 2 DAYS WOULD APPROACH 2 FEET. DIANE WOULD TAKE 90 LIVES AND DESTROY HOMES, BUSINESSES AND ROAD SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT INTERIOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND

SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT IS AFFECTED BY SUCH A VARIETY OF WEATHER SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE THREAT AND YOUR STATE OF READINESS IS WHAT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE IN THE MIDST OF A FLOOD OR FLASH FLOOD EVENT.