National Weather Services stresses importance of understanding floods with its ‘Flood Awareness Week’

BINGHAMTON (WBNG) -- The National Weather Service, or NWS, labeled the week of March 13 as “Flood Awareness Week.”

For each day of the week, the NWS will touch on a topic related to flooding. So far, the topics this week have been “preparedness and awareness,” ”Turn Around; Don’t Drown,” flood hazards, and water resources. Friday’s topic is partner resources.

NWS Binghamton Senior Hydrologist Jim Brewster said this week, as winter ends and a rainy spring season begins, there is an increased risk for flooding. Brewster said this is the biggest hazard New York State faces over the next few months.

Preparedness & Awareness Day explained what the terms “1-in-100″ and “1-in-500″ year floods mean.

Brewster said that this does not mean that a flood will occur once every 100 or 500 years, rather it is a percentage of when a flood of that magnitude occurs. He said that the term “1-in-100″ means a one% chance of that flood occurring. But an area can get multiple events like that in one season. “1-in-500″ has an even smaller percentage to happen.

If you want to learn more about “Flood Awareness Week,” Brewster said that the NWS website has great resources. You can find that here.

Copyright 2023 WBNG. All rights reserved.