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<br />
<br />because the structures themselves are about to he washed away-l
<br />would list the next most-frequent cause of casualties as motorists
<br />taking unnecessary chances. One such situation involves the motorist
<br />who gets stuck in a flooded area of the road and won't abandon his
<br />car immediately but tries to save it. In so doing he and perhaps his
<br />passengers get trapped and washed away. This happened near Balti-
<br />more two years ago at the cost of eight lives-the driver, two pas-
<br />sengers, plus four volunteer firemen and a tow.truck operator who
<br />were trying to help save the car.
<br />Then there is the motorist who deliberately drives from safe
<br />ground into a flooded area and tries to reach high ground on the
<br />other side. Too late, he learns that part of the road has been washed
<br />away: his car rolls into the stream and the occupants drown.
<br />
<br />Q. The lessons here?
<br />
<br />A. Unless you arc very certain that the danger of remaining where
<br />you are is greater, don't try to drive a car over a flooded highway. If
<br />the car stalls, leave it. Don't try to push it to safety.
<br />
<br />Q. Any other dangerous practices to al'oid?
<br />
<br />A. Yes, I want to say a special word to campers. Be extremely
<br />cautious about pitching your tent or parking your trailer beside a
<br />stream. Rememher that the storm which causes sudden flooding may
<br />not even produce rain where you arc-so that the first thing you are
<br />aware of is water rising around you. Pick a spot where there's plenty
<br />of sloping bank separating you from the waters edge. And it's a good
<br />idea to have a portable radio handy so you can listen to the latest
<br />weather forecast before you turn in for the night.
<br />
<br />Q. How about hurricanes? The}' frequently spawn flasb floods,
<br />don't they?
<br />
<br />A. Yes. As Agnes demonstrated so clearly in June, hurricanes and
<br />flash floods go together. Hurricanes invariably contain an enormous
<br />quantity of rainwater which will be dumped as the storm moves in-
<br />land. Sometimes this is combined with the stonn surge-a tide of
<br />wind-driven ocean water-to produce cataclysmic effects. Even many
<br />miles inland and days after the hurricane makes landfall, hurricane
<br />
<br />
<br />MAX A. KOHLER
<br />
<br />rains can cause a catastrophe. The remnants of Camille. which, as
<br />we said, drowned 153 persons in Virginia. did so two nights after
<br />that storm made landfall on the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Missis-
<br />sippi. The storm traveled northward about 700 miles and then made.
<br />almost a right-angle turn across the Appalachians before releasing
<br />anything more than nominally heavy rainfall. Then came the deluge
<br />-27 inches in eight hours.
<br />Hurricane Diane, in August 1955, was another striking ex-
<br />ample. Heavy rainfall on previously saturated ground caused severe
<br />flash floods over the entire Northeast, much of this miles inland.
<br />Damage exceeded that from any prior storm of record.
<br />So. when a hurricane is making landfall, don't think you are
<br />completely free from its effects just because you don't live right on
<br />the coast. Listen for flash-flood watches and warnings as it moves
<br />inland. And even if you don't receive a warning, keep alert for danger
<br />signs. If the rain starts coming down in torrents, start thinking
<br />about whether your house will remain safe for occupancy. If in
<br />douht. move to a sturdier structure in a protected location, or go to
<br />some safe area. such as a hilltop or a high plateau.
<br />
<br />Q. What su~gestions do lOll have for the media-newspapers,
<br />radio, and tele,,'ision-to help you save lives from flash floods?
<br />
<br />A. Newspapers can help us by printing our flash-flood safety rules
<br />-perhaps annually-before the rainy season, and by their articles-
<br />grim though they may be-about people who lose their lives in floods.
<br />When there is a threatening situation, radio and television broad-
<br />casters, without whom we would he helpless to spread warnings,
<br />should make certain they always have the very latest \Veather Service
<br />bulletins and that these are broadcast promptly. The messages should
<br />be delivered calmly: panic is one of the greatest dangers. Rumors
<br />s.hould be withheld; only verified information should be put on the
<br />air, to avoid compounding the confusion. Above all, broadcasters
<br />should try to work closely with the local weather office and local
<br />public-safety officials such as the Defense Civil Preparedness. Agency
<br />(formerly called Office of Civil Defense), department of public
<br />works, and state and local police and fire departments-agencies
<br />that are experienced in dealing with disasters.
<br />Make it a team effort.
<br />
<br />The Nation's new chief flood forecaster
<br />got his first look at a flood when he was 13
<br />years old, surrounded by the swirling waters
<br />of the Neosho River in Council Grove, Kan.
<br />sas. It was the worst flood of record on that
<br />river up until that time, and it is still a
<br />vivid memory to Max A. Kohler.
<br />In January, 1940, at Roswell, New Mexico,
<br />Mr. Kohler began his career with the Weath-
<br />er Service (then Weather Bureau) as a Me-
<br />teorologist Intern. Transferred to Weather
<br />Service headquarters in WaShington, D.C.,
<br />as a Junior Hydrologic Engineer, he went
<br />to work in 1942 in the Office of the Hydro-
<br />logic Director as Assistant HydrOlogic En.
<br />gineer.
<br />Four years later, in July, 1946, Mr. Kohler
<br />was named head Hydrologic Engineer in a
<br />research unit of the Office of Hydrology.
<br />Two years after that he was promoted to
<br />chief of that unit.
<br />In August, 1953, he was named Chief Re.
<br />search Hydrologist. Early in 1965. he was
<br />named Chief HydrOlogist and since 1969
<br />
<br />has also been serving as Director of the
<br />Research and Development Laboratory in
<br />the Office of Hydrology.
<br />Mr. Kohler has been very active in the
<br />World Meteorological Organization and has
<br />traveled abroad extensively in this connec-
<br />tion. He served as President of the World
<br />Meteorological Organization's Commission
<br />for Hydrometeorology from 1961-68.
<br />He was President of the American Geo-
<br />phYSical Union's Section of Hydrology from
<br />1968-70. He is now Chairman-elect of the
<br />American Association for the Advancement
<br />of Science's Section on Atmospheric and
<br />Hydrospheric Sciences, and a member of
<br />the Council of the American Meteorological
<br />Society.
<br />In 1949. Mr. Kohler received a Commerce
<br />Department Silver Medal (together with
<br />Messrs. Foskett and Linsley) for his part in
<br />development of an electronic flood-routing
<br />machine, and in 1959, he was awarded a
<br />Commerce Department Gold Medal for out-
<br />standing service.
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