If you have paid attention to the news lately, you might have noticed that a large portion of the country is experiencing flooding of some kind.

Flood waters can be extremely dangerous and have been known to roll boulders, destroy roads and obliterate bridges. Flash floods develop after about six hours of a rain storm, and depending on the intensity of the rain, severe flash floods can occur in a matter of minutes.

With the severe weather around the country, we wanted to remind everyone of some best practices when dealing with these situations.

Turn around, don’t drown

If you come to an area that is covered with water, it’s important to remember that you do not know the depth of the water or the condition of the road beneath it. The safest thing to do for yourself and those around you is to turn around and seek higher ground. It’s harder to see possible flood dangers at night so be extra cautious.

 Stay informed

Invest in an NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed of weather conditions in your area. If you have a smartphone you can choose from multiple apps, majority of the free, that will also provide weather information and updates. A NOAA Weather Radio app is available on iTunes for $3.99. In areas that are experiencing severe weather, the media typically will break onto the radio stations with regularly scheduled alerts. With all of these options available, staying informed is easy.

Know the terminology

A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring. This means you need to take action now and seek higher ground.

A flood warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring. A flood watch means the conditions are favorable and flooding is likely to occur. Flood advisories are issued when flooding is likely to occur, but not severe enough to issue a warning.

It takes only two feet of moving water to carry away most vehicles and around four feet for semi-trucks. It’s important to remember that trying to drive in any amount of moving water is unsafe and you should always err on the side of caution.

Visit http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/ for more information.