Businesses should always be prepared for the threat of flash flooding. AccuWeather’s SkyGuard® Severe Weather Warnings help businesses best prepare days in advance with the more accurate forecasts with proven Superior Accuracy.

By Adrianne Burke, Director of Content Marketing | AccuWeather For Business

Published Mar 6, 2025 3:52 PM EDT | Updated Mar 6, 2025 3:59 PM EDT

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Key Highlights

• Dangerous and life-threatening can happen anywhere and at anytime.

• Heavy rainfall isn’t the only way flash flooding can happen, a mudslide or a levee breaking can also cause flash flooding.

• AccuWeather will alert you days before flooding potential, providing much-needed time to stay safe and protect your property.

FLOODING FEARS: WHAT IS A FLASH FLOOD?

What is flash flooding, and what causes it? Flooding happens when heavy rain causes an overflow of water on normally dry land. Flash flooding happens when that overflow happens very quickly or lightning-fast. A flash flood must happen within six hours of heavy rainfall or another event that means flooding is going to happen. In many cases, flooding will happen within three hours. Heavy rainfall isn’t the only way flash flooding can happen, a mudslide or a levee breaking can also cause flash flooding.

WHERE DO FLASH FLOODS HAPPEN?

Flash floods can happen anywhere and anytime but are more likely to happen in cities than in rural areas. Cities have fewer places for water to sink into the ground and are mainly paved or covered in concrete; therefore, there is nowhere for the water to go. Cities also have buildings, so they create channels for water to flow.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN FLASH FLOODING IS IMMINENT?

In most cases, businesses will have little time to prepare, but AccuWeather's SkyGuard® Severe Weather Warnings can help you prepare for flooding threats. In most cases, AccuWeather will alert you days before flooding potential, providing you with much-needed time to stay safe and protect your property.

During a flash flood, you should move to the highest point possible. Avoid going into basements, underground parking garages, or storage areas when flash flooding is imminent. It is never safe to drive or walk through rising waters. A good phrase to remember is turn around, don’t drown. AccuWeather For Business will send you an alert when flash flooding is imminent so you, your employees, and your customers can get to higher ground. You should take action immediately.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS FOR A FLASH FLOODING EVENT?

Businesses should always be prepared for flash flooding because you never know when it could happen and should:

• Identify hazards most likely to impact your location & cause business disruption

• Inventory equipment and merchandise

• Identify time needed for equipment shutdowns and travel times to shelter

• Ensure all employees and visitors on-site have a way to be notified of severe weather

• Integrate protective actions directly into warning messages

• Protect your company against liability by ensuring all employees know the actions to take during severe weather

• Establish an emergency communication plan. Share employee, client, and vendor contact information beforehand and provide the plan to critical staff

Be better prepared with AccuWeather's SkyGuard^® Severe Weather Warnings, which will deliver site-specific warnings, often with more advance notice, giving you much-needed additional time.

AccuWeather SkyGuard^® Severe Weather Warnings protect people and facilities in emergencies, communicated instantly with proven Superior Accuracy™ through multiple channels and methods of dissemination, all customized to the client’s needs.

SkyGuard warnings provide the most accurate, proactive notification of impending threats to specific locations when severe weather threatens human lives, facilities, or business operations – 24/7, 365 days a year.

AccuWeather’s team of expert meteorologists develops SkyGuard warnings specifically for the severe weather threats and locations that matter to each individual client, including tornadoes, hail, flooding, ice, black ice, high winds, lightning, and much more. SkyGuard warnings are backed by always-on-call expert consultants to help businesses and institutions make the best weather decisions.

Contact AccuWeather today to get AccuWeather's SkyGuard^® Severe Weather Warnings to better prepare your business for all severe weather threats.

Inside AccuWeather's Severe Weather Warning Meteorology Team: The People Behind SkyGuard® Alerts