PITTSBURGH — Summer storms have soaked our area this year, and so far, the National Weather Service has issued more flash flood warnings than they have in more than two decades. With so many warnings, you may be tempted to ignore them. But don’t let warning fatigue keep you from staying safe.
In a matter of minutes, a wall of water wiped out entire Texas towns on July 4th.
More than 100 people died and many are still missing
It was the perfect flash flood recipe--- slow-moving storms dumping heavy rain, hills funneling it into fast-moving currents. And it’s something that happens here.
On August 19th, 2011, a slow-moving storm dumped more than two inches of rain in just over an hour during the evening rush hour. It had been raining hard that day and in minutes, Washington Boulevard became a river with water rising nine feet.
Cars were stranded. Rescuers used boats to get people out. Four people were killed, including a mother and her two daughters, who were trapped in their minivan.
“The water didn’t have anywhere to go but come out of the culverts and onto the roadway,” said National Weather Service Senior Service Hydrologist, Alicia Miller.
Flash flooding is the rapid rise in water where you normally wouldn’t see it.
It happens fast and according to Channel 11 Chief Meteorologist Stephen Cropper, it’s the number one weather-related killer in our area.
“The threats here are slow-moving thunderstorms, thunderstorms that move over the same area,” said Alicia Miller.
Like the Texas hill country, our hills allow heavy rain to rapidly run off, causing quick rises in lower areas.
“Terrain is a big influence on how fast water can flow from the top of the hillside to the bottom of the hillside, so that is something that we have to take into consideration when we issue flash flood warnings,” said Miller.
It’s a risk that isn’t going away. We’re seeing more frequent, more intense rain.
Recent trends show extreme rain events are happening more often. More downpours and more intense rain.
“We have seen an increase in the amount of precipitation and the rate of precipitation… and a lot of the time that can be attributed to a warming of the atmosphere. We’re seeing an increase in the temperatures over the last 30 years," said Miller.
Warmer air holds more water, which fuels more downpours, so be prepared.
Know your risk, have a way to get warnings, and a plan to get to safety. And don’t ignore the warnings when you get them.
“Even though there’s been a lot of fatigue, you need to have a plan in place to evacuate if you need to in a flash flood warning,” said Miller.
Even if it’s not raining in your location at the moment, our Severe Weather Team 11 app will send warnings from the National Weather Service directly to your phone, so download it now.
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