Expires:200903190600;;033899
ASUS46 KPQR 181210
RWROR 
OREGON REGIONAL WEATHER ROUNDUP
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
500 AM PDT WED MAR 18 2009
NOTE: "FAIR" INDICATES FEW OR NO CLOUDS BELOW 12,000 FEET WITH
NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER AND/OR OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISIBILITY.

MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-190600-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
800 AM WED MAR 18 2009
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF MARCH 16TH 
THROUGH 20TH FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK IN MAINE...AS WELL AS THE 
REMAINDER OF THE UNITED STATES...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CARIBOU ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS OF 
MAINE TO BE AWARE OF DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FLOODING AND TAKE TIME 
THIS WEEK TO REVIEW FLOOD THREATS AND FLOOD SAFETY PRACTICES. A 
DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL TOPIC WILL BE FEATURED EACH DAY DURING THE 
WEEK. TODAY'S TOPIC: TROPICAL CYCLONE INLAND FLOODING.
WHEN IT COMES TO TROPICAL CYCLONES...A GENERIC TERM FOR A 
HURRICANE...TYPHOON OR TROPICAL STORM...WIND SPEEDS DO NOT TELL THE 
WHOLE STORY. INTENSE RAINFALL...NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE WIND 
SPEED OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE...OFTEN CAUSES MORE DAMAGE. SINCE THE 
1970S...INLAND FLOODING HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN HALF OF 
THE DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE UNITED STATES. 
TYPICALLY...GREATER RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND FLOODING ARE ASSOCIATED 
WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES THAT HAVE A SLOW FORWARD SPEED OR STALL OVER 
AN AREA.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INLAND FLOODING FROM TROPICAL 
CYCLONES?
INLAND FRESHWATER FLOODS ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN HALF OF U.S. 
TROPICAL CYCLONE DEATHS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS. RAINFALL IS 
TYPICALLY HEAVIER WITH SLOWER MOVING STORMS AS SLOWER MOVING TROPICAL
CYCLONES ALLOW HEAVY RAIN TO PERSIST OVER A LOCATION.
WHAT TYPES OF INLAND FLOODING ARE CAUSED BY TROPICAL CYCLONES?
* FLASH FLOODING: FLASH FLOODING OCCURS IN BROOKS...STREAMS...AND    
  URBAN AREAS WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OR HOURS OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL.   
  RAPIDLY RISING WATER CAN REACH HEIGHTS OF 30 FEET OR MORE. STREETS 
  CAN BECOME SWIFT MOVING RIVERS AND UNDERPASSES CAN BECOME DEATH    
  TRAPS.
* RIVER FLOODING: RIVER FLOODING OCCURS FROM HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED  
  WITH DECAYING HURRICANES OR TROPICAL STORMS...AND IN EXTREME       
  CASES...RIVER FLOODS CAN LAST A WEEK OR MORE.
HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW SEVERE A FLOOD WILL BE?
WITHIN FLOOD WARNING PRODUCTS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONVEYS 
THE MAGNITUDE OF OBSERVED OR FORECAST FLOODING USING FLOOD SEVERITY 
CATEGORIES. THESE FLOOD SEVERITY CATEGORIES INCLUDE MINOR FLOODING...
MODERATE FLOODING...AND MAJOR FLOODING. EACH CATEGORY HAS A 
DEFINITION BASED ON PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PUBLIC THREAT.
* MINOR FLOODING: MINIMAL OR NO PROPERTY DAMAGE...BUT POSSIBLY SOME  
  PUBLIC THREAT OR INCONVENIENCE.
* MODERATE FLOODING: SOME INUNDATION OF STRUCTURES AND ROADS NEAR    
  STREAMS. SOME EVACUATIONS OF PEOPLE AND OR TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TO 
  HIGHER ELEVATIONS ARE NECESSARY.
* MAJOR FLOODING: EXTENSIVE INUNDATION OF STRUCTURES AND ROADS WITH  
  SIGNIFICANT EVACUATIONS OF PEOPLE AND OR TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TO   
  HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
THE IMPACTS OF A FLOOD VARY LOCALLY.  FOR EACH NWS RIVER FORECAST 
LOCATION...FLOOD STAGE AND THE STAGE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE NWS 
FLOOD SEVERITY CATEGORIES ARE ESTABLISHED IN COOPERATION WITH LOCAL 
PUBLIC OFFICIALS.  INCREASING RIVER LEVELS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE 
CONSTITUTE MINOR...MODERATE...AND MAJOR FLOODING.  IMPACTS VARY FROM 
ONE RIVER LOCATION TO ANOTHER BECAUSE A CERTAIN RIVER STAGE HEIGHT 
IN ONE LOCATION MAY HAVE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT IMPACT THAN THE SAME 
LEVEL ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AT ANOTHER LOCATION.
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MAT