Which of these two hurricane after-effects causes more deaths, a storm surge  or inland flooding ? If you chose inland floods, you’re right! According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA), while a storm surge is always a potential threat, more people have died from inland flooding from 1970 up to 2000.

There are many reasons why inland flooding poses the greatest danger in times of hurricanes, but the main one is because people underestimate the seriousness of the flood itself. Drivers charge ahead in flooded roadways without giving thought to water depth or what lies beneath the water (sinkholes , anyone?), so a lot of casualties are people who drown in their cars.

 To address this issue, the National Weather Service  has launched a campaign called Turn Around Don’t Drown® . The campaign has created safety rules for coping with inland floods. It has also disseminated outreach materials, such as posters and brochures, which can be downloaded from the campaign’s web site. AND, if these reading materials don’t grab you, maybe this song(mp3)  will.