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NEWS ADVISORY
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service
Steven E. Lohr, Fire Chief
Public Safety Headquarters, 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg,
MD 20878
Assistant Chief Scott Graham, Executive Officer
Phone: 240.876.1260 Media line: 240.777.2442 @MCFirePIO
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2013
WARNING - Flash Flood ing and Severe Weather Poss ible
Many Roads in MontgomeryCounty Susceptible to Flooding
Montgomery County, Md- - - Just a few days into Hurricane
Season, Tropical Storm Andrea isexpected to impact much of the
Atlantic coast and bring heavy rains to our area over the next
24
hours. The National Weather Service has issued a FLASH FLOOD
WATCH for Montgomery
County until Friday evening and Montgomery County Fire and
Rescue officials are monitoring the
weather and urgingCounty residents to be alert to changing
weather conditions and prepared forpossible flash flooding as the
storm system moves through the area.
When it rains heavily, there may be flash floods, flood warnings
and flood watches issued. Flash
floods more often occur in mountain streams, hilly areas or
low-lying areas. But they do happen in
urban and suburban areas like Montgomery County, as well. Flash
floods can occur even though it's
not raining where you are. It may be raining hard farther
upstream and raining so hard that the water
can not be absorbed into the ground.
Safety Tips:
If a flash flood warning is issued, act immediately. Don't wait
for high water to dictate your
course of action.
Know your location when you are driving. If you needed rescue,
would you be able to direct
emergency crews to your location? Distracted driving can lead to
a situation where you are stranded
and unable to direct emergency crews to you. Be alert!
Never drive through a flooded road or bridge. Back up and try a
different route. In many
cases, it takes far less than a foot of water to incapacitate a
vehicle. It may stall, leaving you
stranded, and depending on the level of water, you may not be
able to open a vehicle door. Do not
underestimate the power of moving water.
Stay on high ground. If your car is trapped, get out if you can
safety do so. Move to higher ground.
If you're driving through a hilly area or place that is subject
to flooding along a stream and hear a
flash flood warning, go to high groundnever try to outrun a
flash flood.
Watch for flooding at bridges and dips in the road. Never drive
where water is over bridges or
roads. Turn around. The bridges or the road could suddenly be
washed out. If you're driving at nightbe especially careful. Often
visibility is limited due to wind and rain. If you should drive
into water,
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don't try to drive out of it. Get out of the car and safely
return to higher ground.
Often what you can't see below the surface of the water is far
more dangerous than the high levels of
that water. Remember that rocks, tree limbs and other debris can
be caught in moving water and can
be dangerous if you are forced to walk, wade or swim through
flood waters.
If you have to walk or wade through flood water, use a stick to
poke the ground in front of you with
each step. It can help you determine water levels, the bottom
surface and the safest possible way to
get to higher ground.
Remember that flash floods can come without warning, and
sometimes without weather. Be alertand heed all warnings and
recommendations from officials.
From FEMA's website, some further information about driving
through flooded roadways:
Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars
causing loss ofcontrol and possible stalling.
A foot of water will float many vehicles. Two feet of rushing
water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility
vehicles (SUV's) and pick-ups
DONT DROWN TURN AROUND!
ROADS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY SUBJECT TO PERIODIC FLOODING:
DOWN-COUNTY AREAS
MD 29 (Columbia Pike) at Paint Branch - N. of White Oak
MD 185 (Conn. Ave) at Rock Creek - S. of Kensington
MD 190 (River Road) at Cabin John Creek - Potomac
MD 193 (Univ. Blvd) at Sligo Creek - Wheaton
MD 586 (Viers Mill Rd) at Rock Creek - S. of Twinbrook Pkwy.
Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park - Kensington-Chevy Chase
Sligo Creek Pkwy - Silver Spring-Takoma Park
UP-COUNTY AREAS
MD 97 (Georgia Ave) at Reddy Branch - N. of Brookeville
MD 124 (Woodfield Rd) at Goshen Branch and at Gr. Seneca Creek -
N. of Brink Rd.
MD 117 (Clopper Rd) at Gr. Seneca Creek - W. of Gaithersburg
MD 117 (Clopper Rd) at Little Seneca Creek - E. of Boyds
MD 355 (Frederick Rd) at Little Seneca Creek - W. of Brink
MD 121 (Clarksburg Rd) near Little Seneca Lake - N. of Boyds
MD 118 (Germantown Rd) at Great Seneca Creek - S. of
Germantown
River Rd and Berryville Rd at Seneca Creek
Blunt Road at Great Seneca Creek - S. of Brink Rd.Davis Mill Rd
at Great Seneca Creek - N. of Gaithersburg
Brighton Dam Rd at Hawlings River - NE of Brookeville
Goldmine Rd at Hawlings River - E of Olney
Zion Rd at Hawlings River - E. of Laytonsville
Hoyles Mill Rd at ford of Little Seneca Creek - Germantown, west
of the soccer complex
Loghouse Rd at Magruder Branch - S. of Damascus
Elton Farm Rd at Haights Branch - N. of Sunshine
Howard Chapel Rd at Haights Branch - N. of Sunshine
Whites Ferry Road and River Road - Whites Ferry
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