TO: ALL WEST VIRGINIA ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM WV SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WV ARES BULLETIN NR 10.29 DATE: July 18, 2010
SUBJECT: THE AWESOME POWER!
"April showers bring May flowers," but then those April showers, and any other months, can turn into what some of us refer to as "Gully washing, Toad stranglers". Some of those gully washers can wash all of those flowers down stream. Well, at least it seems that way. "The Awesome Power!", as National Weather Service refers to it, can come quickly and often without warning.
How can we help during flooding conditions? We can monitor the Weather Alert Radio for pending storms and listen to public service frequencies and list all the roads closed by high water. We can gather information from other amateurs who are mobile, or live near creeks and rivers. With this info, a designated SKYWARN volunteer can contact the National Weather Service; give them a consolidated report of the situation.
Remember, you should never drive through high water. A foot of water could push your vehicle off the road, and two foot of water will carry away most vehicles. If you venture out to get information, just go to the locations were the road is covered, give that information, and then go back the way you came. Remember "Turn Around, Don't Drown!
This type of information is not worth risking your life for. A few reports from different areas will give the NWS the information they need.
(Reprint, with modifications of Wood County RACES Bulletin NR 96.21, by Duane Jones N8LDM)
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
WV ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
WV ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator