Disaster Recovery News

According to the National Weather Service, more people have died from floods than from lightening, tornadoes, or hurricanes. Andrea Thompson with LiveScience.com has reported that researchers have been finding that lightening strikes could be indicators for upcoming flash floods.

An international team of scientists has conducted a study called the “Flash Project” over the last few years that have “found that by measuring the radiation emitted by lightning, they can pinpoint the most intense thunderstorms and track the resulting rainfall.

The method can be used to predict both the path of the storm and where heavy rainfall will appear in the next few hours – a technique called ‘nowcasting.’ Nowcasting looks at a shorter time scale than forecasting, which looks a few days in advance.”

With the information gathered, real-time flash flood prediction maps should be on the Flash Project’s website around the mid-2009.

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Learn more about recovering from a flood.

Southern Texas was doused with 13 inches of heavy rain on Monday, flooding an estimated 750 homes in Starr County and forcing over 240 people to evacuate. By Monday evening 3 to 4 feet of water stood in neighborhoods around Roma, Texas and north of US Highway 83.

The flooding is being attributed to large amounts of rain falling on ground already saturated by the rains caused by Hurricane Dolly in July. The ground was unable to take in the large amount of water quick enough. Rain continues to fall today in northwest Texas creating flash flood warnings in Decatur and Whichita Falls.

Area residents that chose to stay in their flooded houses were hoping to fend off thieves and save some of their belongings.

Weather experts are continuing to watch the storm moving through Texas and the necessary flood clean-up that is sure to follow.

More on flood recovery.

Recent Video From Roma, TX: