What's The Difference Between A Flood Watch And A Flood Warning?

6/29/2018 (Permalink)

When it comes to North Texas, I feel like we can either get a whole bunch of rain at once or no rain at all. There is no in between, and for that reason flooding is a problem here. But, when it comes to flooding, when is it a time to take it seriously and not just get annoyed by the blaring alert noise on your phone? Below is a handy guide.

Flood Watch: Just a tornado or thunderstorm watch, flood watches occur when the conditions are favorable. It doesn’t mean that flooding will occur, just that it is possible we may see flooding.

Flash Flood Warning: If there has been a flash flood that has been issued for your area: react immediately, especially if you are in a flood prone area. A warning means that flooding is occurring or imminent in your area. You need to move to higher ground as quickly as possible. If you don’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Flash floods can occur in a matter or minutes to a few hours.

Flood Warning: If you are under a flood warning, that means flooding is happening in your area. Take action immediately and move to higher ground.

You may find yourself asking… what’s the difference between a flash flood and just a regular flood. The National Weather Service states that a flood is an overflow of water onto normally dry land. It can be caused by rising water in rivers, streams, or even drainage ditches. A flash flood is caused by receiving a large amount of rainfall in a short period of time and cause raging torrents.

If your home has suffered from flood damage recently, give SERVPRO of Lake Worth/Benbrook a call at 817.560.3086.