How flash flooding impacts the public

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – You hear it often…there’s a risk of heavy rain and flash flooding.

And you often see a flash flood warning. But what exactly is flash flooding and how does it happen?

Flash flooding results when we receive too much rain over a short amount of time. It can happen in rural areas far away from cities when runoff from heavy rain causes rivers, creeks and streams to rise too quickly.

The devastating flooding that results happens in just minutes and can damage or destroy buildings and wash out roads and bridges. In towns and cities, flash flooding can occur because there’s more pavement and water can’t run off as easily.

In many cases, in the city, the only place for water to go is in a storm drain Or…In a house or business. Streets can also flood quickly, making driving dangerous and impossible.

And, the fast-moving currents created by flash flooding can impact you whether you’re a pedestrian or a driver. It takes just a half-foot of water–six inches–to sweep you off your feet.

A foot of water can lift cars and carry them away. And eighteen inches of water–a foot and a half–can wash away even a small truck.

Which is why meteorologists and safety experts routinely say, “Turn around, don’t drown.”