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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />flood , the NWS will provide the <br />information to the Fremont County <br />Dispatcher. <br /> <br />weather and forecast <br />Sheriff's Department <br /> <br />The National Weather Service defines floods and flash <br />floods as follows: <br /> <br />1. Floods - slowly evolving overbank flows which are <br />normally caused by water rises due to mountain snowmelt - <br />sometimes augmented by rain at lower elevations. They usually <br />involve gradual river rises and provide a reasonable amount of <br />time for preparing and disseminating watches and warning. <br />These events for Florence are handled by the National Weather <br />service in Denver, in cooperation with the National Weather <br />Service River Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has more <br />hydrologic expertise, computer power and modeling capability. <br />In addition, for a flood event, usually, sufficient time is <br />available to produce good forecasts of future river crests and <br />times. <br /> <br />Z. Flash Floods - overbank flows due primarily to heavy <br />rain in a short period of time caused primarily by heavy, slow <br />moving thunderstorms. The floods normally occur within 3 hours <br />or so of the beginning of heavy rain. Thus little time is <br />available for preparing and disseminating warnings. Since the <br />reaction time for these events is short, and past and future <br />rainfall is such a large input to the forecast, the closest <br />National Weather Service Office (in this case Pueblo) is <br />tasked with preparing flash flood warnings. <br /> <br />Watches are used to inform the public and cooperating <br />agencies that current and developing hydrological and <br />meteorological conditions are such that the area in the watch <br />is subject to possible flash flooding. A WATCH adviaes persons <br />in the watch area to check preparedneas plans, keep informed, ancl <br />be ready to take action if a flash flood warniDg is issued or <br />floodi.ng is observed. <br /> <br />Warnings are used to inform the public and cooperating <br />agencies that flash flooding is imminent or in progress for <br />specific cODllDUnities, and/or streams. Persona in the WABHING <br />area are advised to take the necessary actions ~""ediatelv. <br /> <br />The NWS issues flood warnings and watches when flooding <br />is expected or when flooding has been observed. NWS will <br />update the watches or warnings as conditions warrant. Flash <br />flood watches or warnings are tranemitted on the National <br />Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio, <br />NOAA weather wire, and radio and TV stations. They are <br />described in the following paragraphs: <br /> <br />5 <br />