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NASCAR'S DARRELL WALTRIP & NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARN AGAINST DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED ROADS Unveil New Public Service Announcement at Lowe's Motor Speedway
"If I can help the National Weather Service prevent even one flood-related death, I'd consider this public service effort a great success," said Waltrip, whose 30-second video is being made available via satellite to TV stations across the country today. "Water can be deceptive, especially at night, and all it takes is a few inches to cause a crash or carry your car or truck downstream," Waltrip cautions the viewer. "Take it from me. Protect your family. Steer clear of flooded areas."
"Our message here is simple. It only takes six inches of running water to sweep you off your feet or make you lose control of your car or truck. Motorists should respect the power of running water and play it safe by steering clear of flooded roadways. Unfortunately, each year countless drivers make the wrong choice and take a chance by crossing flooded roads, instead of simply turning around and finding a safe route," said Scott Gudes, NOAA's deputy under secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, is the parent agency of the National Weather
Service. It has environmental
satellite and ocean
data divisions that team with the weather service to monitor
and predict the nation's weather and climate. "I'm calling on my friends in the media to help us air this flood safety announcement," Waltrip said, noting that U.S. radio stations will receive an audio version of the tape. According to Jones, the U.S.
experienced 24,605 flash floods over the last ten years causing
about 130 fatalities each year. "Of these fatalities, 52
percent were vehicle related," said Jones, who noted that
the weather service provided warning of these floods with an
average lead time of 43 minutes over the last five years.
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