What's the difference between flood watch and flood warning

What's the difference between flood watch and flood warning?

By Hollie Stark
Outreach Program Manager

Every year in Washington, floods can cause loss of life as well as damage to structures, crops, land, roads and utilities. They can also cause erosion and landslides and carry toxic products that cause secondary damage.

Every county in Washington is at-risk of flooding due to a variety of causes. Some of the most common causes of flooding in the state are flash, river, coastal, burn scars/debris flows, ice/debris jams, snowmelt, dry wash and dam breaks/levee failure, according to the National Weather Service.

Because flooding is so prevalent and can happen in many weather conditions, it is vital to understand how you will be warned and what you should do in the event of a flood.

But sometimes that can be confusing. For example. What is the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning?

The National Weather Service issues flood alerts and describes them like this:

• A watch means that the ingredients to create flood conditions are present. A flood is possible. You should be prepared. Some things you can do to be prepared are have your go-bag ready, make sure you have pictures of your valuables for insurance purposes, tune your television or radio to a local station, or make sure you are opted-in to local alerts.
• A warning means flood conditions are imminent or occurring. You could also receive a flash flood warning. In both instances you should take action to get to high ground and away from the danger. Don't ignore evacuation orders.

Never try to walk or drive through flood waters. Remember the rhyme "turn around, don't drown."

The National Weather Service states:

"Water may be deeper than it appears and can hide hazards such as sharp objects, washed out road surfaces, electrical wires, chemicals, etc. A vehicle caught in swiftly moving water can be swept away in seconds 12 inches of water can float a car or small SUV, 18 inches of water can carry away large vehicles,"

You can receive flood warnings in myriad ways and it is important to have more than one way to get alerted. Before a flood occurs, we recommend investing in a NOAA weather radio, but you could also get alerts on your cell phone through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), on your television or the radio as part of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), or via an opt-in system through your local jurisdiction.

You can learn more about alerting methods and find your jurisdiction at mil.wa.gov/alerts.

Floods can happen at any time of year so want you to be prepared for floods and other disasters year-round. You can find a variety of preparedness materials, resources, and videos at mil.wa.gov/preparedness or feel free to reach out at [email protected].