Developed as

a cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and the Federal

Alliance for Safe Homes, the kickoff of the campaign coincided with National

Hurricane Awareness Week, May 18-24. Hurricane season begins June 1 and

runs through Nov. 30, with September the peak month.

"Even

considering all the destruction caused by high winds, inland flooding

is the most dangerous and deadly problem caused by hurricanes," Oxendine

said. "For example, of the 56 deaths caused by Hurricane Floyd in

1999, all but six were the result of inland flooding. In fact, the leading

cause of all weather-related fatalities in the U.S. is flooding.

"That's

why we urge people not to try to walk or even drive through flooded areas,"

Oxendine said. "Turn around, don't drown."

According to

the National Weather Service, most deaths from inland flooding occur not

as a result of people being overtaken by rising water, but because they

walk or drive into flooded areas. The power and speed of the water, not

the depth, makes inland flooding dangerous. It takes only six inches of

rushing water to knock a person off their feet, and just two feet of rushing

water can carry away most vehicles.

Detailed safety

information about preparing for and dealing with weather-related disasters

is available online at the Commissioner's Office Web site, www.gainsurance.org,

as well as FLASH and the National Weather Service Southern Region Web

sites, www.flash.org and www.srh.weather.gov.