What’s the Difference between Flood Watch and Flood Warning?

When your local weather services issues a watch for natural disasters like hurricane and storms, it sometimes leave you in disarray and confused on the next line of action to take. Do you have a disaster mitigation plan already? Where is the safest place to seek shelter? Do you have the right essentials for the trip? Do you have a reliable, certified disaster cleaning company Denver Tech Center CO that can provide expert advice on what to do? As a property owner, it is your responsibility to keep your loved ones from harm. Planning ahead for an emergency is very key. 

Disasters come in many different forms. However, the most common and possibly the most dreadful is flood. Flood watch and flood warnings, if not taken seriously and acted upon, can result in costly damage running into thousands of dollars in repair costs. Flash floods, for instance, cause more fatalities than any other disaster annually. So you should take adequate steps to protect your home and property from damage. But first, what is the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning?

What is a Flood Watch?

A flood watch occurs when there is a possibility for flooding. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a flood will happen. During a flood watch, be sure to listen to local news. Do not leave your home without tuning in to listen to local news. This is the best time to create a plan, get all essentials, and stay prepared. This way, you can respond quickly to any change in weather. More importantly, it prevents last minute planning. 

What is Flood Warning?

When you read news about a flood warning, then there is no escaping it. It simply means flood is imminent. The intensity of the downpour and the likelihood of greater damage will determine if the flood warning will be taken a step higher to flash flood warning. At the time of issuing a flood warning, you are expected to move your valuables to higher grounds. This is the right thing to do if you are in a flood prone area. A flash flood can be deadly and can happen within minutes. Flash flood happens so fast, giving you less time to think. 

If the flood situation worsens, then you shouldn’t hesitate to evacuate. Make sure you keep all valuable items on higher grounds before leaving the house. You should secure an alternative shelter where you can easily move your family, if the situation worsens. 

What to do in the event of a flood warning?

Do not waste any time taking action in the event of a flood warning. Most flood fatalities happen because people underestimate the power of flood or they do not have a flood disaster mitigation plan. 

The importance of creating an emergency plan and having a preparedness kit cannot be overemphasized. Stay close to your local news – listen to the radio and watch TV news. You will most definitely get reliable information from the news source.