Arkansas Floodplain Management Association Southwest Region Representative and board member Denny McPhate (middle) and Tabitha Clark, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) representative (right), presented Garland County Floodplain Administrator Charles Molsbee (left) with a pair of “Turn Around Don’t Drown” (TADD) signs during the November 26 Garland County Quorum Court meeting held at the Garland County Courthouse. McPhate is the City of Hot Springs’ Public Works Director and Floodplain Administrator. Also shown (rear) is Garland County Judge Rick Davis.
Each year, flooding causes more deaths than any other weather hazard. Most of these deaths could be prevented as they occur in motor vehicles when people attempt to drive through flooded roadways. Many other lives are lost when people walk into or near flood waters. This happens because people underestimate the force and power of water, especially when it’s moving.
The Arkansas Floodplain Management Association, Inc. (AFMA) is pleased to partner with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Little Rock to provide a limited number of “Turn Around Don’t Drown” signs to communities in Arkansas. “Turn Around Don’t Drown” (or TADD) is a National Weather Service campaign to warn people of the hazards of walking or driving a vehicle through flood waters. Several counties are adopting TADD signs and posting them at locations where flash flooding often leads to water over the roads.
The first pair of signs are to be deployed in Garland County where the incidence of flooding is high and the onset of flooding is rapid.