According to the National Weather Service (NWS), flooding causes more damage in the U.S. than any other weather-related event over the past 20 years. Southeastern Pennsylvania is no stranger to flooding, especially around parts of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers as well in communities surrounding parts of the Brandywine, Darby, Neshaminy and Perkiomen creeks, among others.

Flash flooding is especially dangerous because it happens so quickly – sometimes in minutes – and can be very powerful. It takes only 6 inches of fast-moving water to knock a person off their feet and only 12-18 inches of water to sweep a vehicle off the road.  

Citing flooding as the most common natural disaster in Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth’s House of Representatives recognizes March 17-21, 2025 as Flood Awareness Week. The American Red Cross and NWS has five days of important info to help keep you safe when flooding occurs.

Day 1 - Flood Preparedness

As a first step in preparing for flooding, arm yourself with information. Learn about the types of flooding that can impact your home and community. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an interactive flood map tool that allows you to look up flooding hazards near your address.

Make a plan for you and your family before flooding happens. Decide where you’ll go and how you’ll get to higher ground in different scenarios. Ready.gov offers a Family Emergency Communications Plan template, which you can fill out and email to members of your family as a PDF. The Red Cross also has Flood Safety Checklists in nine languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese.

Be sure to pay attention to flooding alerts issued for your community. Local news and social media are good ways to get breaking info. Another great tool is NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather and river information direct from nearby NWS offices.

Day 2 - Turn Around, Don’t Drown

It’s more than a catchy slogan. Turn Around, Don’t Drown is a reminder to never drive, walk or swim through a flooded area. NWS informs us that more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other severe weather-related hazard, and more than half of all flood related deaths result from vehicles being swept downstream. Many of these deaths are preventable.

If flooding occurs, Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Get to higher ground and avoid low areas that are prone to flooding. Stay away roads that are already flooded and never attempt to cross flowing streams. Don’t assume you can make it through the water; roads may be washed out under flood water and debris may be present. Remember that it takes as little as 12 inches of moving water to wash a vehicle off a roadway.

Day 3 - More Accurate Flood Information

NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service (NWPS) provides river and flood forecasts across the U.S. These helps emergency agencies be more proactive in making better lifesaving decisions about evacuating people or moving property before a flood. The suite of tools can provide more accurate info about how high a river will rise, when it’s expected to peak, how long a flood will last and the certainty of the forecast.

Day 4 - Flooding Causes and Severity

According to NWS, flooding typically develops in Pennsylvania because of excessive rainfall or snow melt combined with excessive rainfall. The main causes of excessive rain are widespread heavy rain to the north of a warm front, slow moving thunderstorms and tropical cyclones – aka hurricanes, typhoons or tropical storms. Intense rain from these storms often causes more damage than their associated winds.

The NWS categorizes flood severity into three categories: minor, moderate and major. With minor flooding, there is minimal property damage. Some evacuations of people and property may occur with moderate flooding, which typically sees structures and roads near streams inundated with water. With major flooding, there are significant evacuations and damage.

Day 5 - Flood Alerts

Anticipating flood severity helps inform if and when NWS issues a flood warning, watch or advisory. A flood/flash flood warning means a flood is imminent for a specific area and you should take action immediately. A flood watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding, meaning you should be prepared to act if needed. NWS issues a flood advisory when flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning.

Learn More

The Red Cross offers online tips to help prepare your home and family for 24 different emergencies, including info about what to do before, during and after a flood. You can also learn about how the Red Cross helps during a flood. Don’t forget to download our free Red Cross Emergency App for real-time alerts and preparedness info.

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- Written by Alana Mauger