Flooding and Driving

More people perish due to drowning in their car than you think.   Hype online and on TV make it sound like a Hurricane or a Tornado are the most dangerous severe weather condition.  This may be true however severe storms cover a specific area.  A flood or flash flood is a more common event and many people don't know as much as they should to avoid getting caught in one and the dangers of driving through a flood especially at night.

Of course flooding occurs with severe storms but did you know that you do not have to be in a rain storm to be caught in a flash flood?

The following are important points to remember when driving in flood conditions:

Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.
A foot of water will float many vehicles
Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) and pick-ups.
Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road. The depth of water is not always obvious. The road bed may be washed out under the water, and you could be stranded or trapped.
Do not drive around a barricade. Barricades are there for your protection. Turn around and go the other way.
Do not try to take short cuts. They may be blocked. Stick to designated evacuation routes.
Be especially cautious driving at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.

Courtesy of Ready.gov




Final note:   SE PA has seen record rainfall amounts for example Philadelphia has see over 10 inches of rain for this month  (June '13)  The NWS stated today that even with 1 inch of rainfall can create flooding.  Check your local news and be especially aware of flooding conditions near creeks and streams.  If you have to drive today use a GPS and learn how to set an alternate route.   It is a law in PA to use your headlights when you are using your windshield wipers during the day.






Do not cross a flooded road closed by a barricade, not only are you risking your life but also the lives of those that would have to rescue you.  (Now a PA state law with fines as well)

For Severe Weather information mark these sites as your favorites;

Weather.gov
Ready.gov

Social Media
The_Weather_Vane on Facebook
The_Weather_Vane on Twitter
The_Weather_Vane on Google +

Don't forget to have an AM/FM radio with fresh batteries, a flashlight or even better a NOAA Weather Alert Radio

A Tribute to Tim Samaras

If I were to say that I was not interested in Storm Chasing then that may be a lie.  I don't think that I will chase storms, at least not like what you have seen on TV or on YouTube.  My interest is really to take pictures and video from a far and safe distance.  I was sad to see the news this morning on social media about the passing of a pioneer..  Tim Samaras.   Tim became a celebrity working on the TV show "Storm Chasers" that was on the Discovery Channel.  Weather enthusiasts also have seen his videos on National Geographic and on The Weather Channel.
 I was very inspired by his work, especially with high speed camera images of lightning. So much so that I recently invested in a high speed video camera. High speed video is what you see when you see a slow motion video of lightning or cloud formations, etc.  Tim was a brilliant engineer and he pushed to achieve breakthroughs in science and technology. He even recorded the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded and the achievement was noted by the Guinness Book of Records.

I have expressed some anger regarding at some of the chasers during the storms in Oklahoma but now seeing that one of the most experienced and respected weather scientists perished during this same event led me to think that this was a rare and tragic event that weather enthusiasts need to learn from.  Hopefully lessons learned from El Reno Oklahoma will help show how unpredictable a tornadoes path could be and it is something you need to respect and keep out of harms way.

Here is a video, one that I felt that really showed his achievements well.

Here are more of his videos from National Geographic.

  http://climatedriver.blogspot.com/search?q=Tim+Samaras

NOAA Video - What is a Watch?

What is a Watch?

For those who regularly see severe weather, please see this video and pass this information along to anyone else that may benefit from this.

I work at alerting folks in my area, but you can be informed 24/7 by buying a NOAA Alert Weather Radio (I have two of them).. Or visit the website shown in the video above at     www.weather.gov

Hurricane Ready - Season Starts Soon

Organizations such as NOAA, The National Hurricane Center, FEMA, The American Red Cross and Readygov are reminding everyone about Hurricane season which starts very soon..

Remember that Hurricanes do not just affect coastal areas. Many of us remember what has happened in recent history with Irene, Lee and Superstorm Sandy.  The NHC has issued it's general forecast for this year and they are expecting an active Hurricane season. 

These organizations have generously distributed this PDF guide about Tropical Cyclones to the public.

PREPAREDNESS GUIDE (NOAA) - Click to open

Tornado Genesis

Here is a Nat Geo video featuring Tim Samaras who tracked down the birth of a Tornado near South Central Kansas.  Winds were clocked at over 200 miles per hour.