LETTERS: WARNING: FLOODWATER IS DANGEROUS

To the editor:

Recent images carried by the media across the country showed a school bus containing 31 children trapped in the floodwaters of the Little Patuxent River in Maryland. Thankfully, everyone got out safely. In the past year, regional images have included vehicles traversing flooded roadways, motorists rescued from their stalled vehicles after attempting to drive across flooded areas, and children playing or riding their bikes in floodwaters. All of these activities are dangerous and potentially life-threatening.

For the National Weather Service, this incident provides a chilling reminder of the extreme caution all of us must take when it comes to vehicles and flood fatalities.

As little as six inches of water on the road could cause a driver to lose control, and two feet of water will carry most vehicles away. This was graphically illustrated in the recent coverage as the bus was almost tipping over with the children aboard. With half of all flood fatalities vehicle related, our efforts to educate the public of the dangers of flooding and warn of potential flood conditions is extremely important.

We ask that the media across the country assist the National Weather Service in ongoing outreach efforts by publicizing the following cautions:

-- Never driver across flooded roadways, regardless of what other cars are doing or how safe it may appear.

-- Do not drive around barriers or ignore official warnings and enter areas that may be flooded.

-- Pay attention to weather reports. Purchase an inexpensive National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings 24 hours a day.

-- Pay attention to your surroundings and take responsibility for your safety and those around you.

In addition, we would like to note that the media, in covering flood events, many times show people driving or wading through floodwater. Entering flooded areas is extremely dangerous and has been the cause of numerous preventable fatalities. Therefore, we are asking the media, when running images of people driving or wading through floodwaters, to warn the public that such actions are extremely dangerous and too often result in death.

Every year, the nation suffers the loss of dozens of lives and millions of dollars in property damage due to floods and flash floods. Through public education and improved forecasts and warnings under our nationwide modernization effort, the National Weather Service is working hard to reduce these losses and appreciates the assistance of the media and the general public to help keep people safe.

BEVERLY A. POOLE, Meteorologist-in-charge

MARY A. LAMM, Service Hydrologist

National Weather Service

West Paducah, Ky.