WINFIELD, Kan. (June 22, 2021) – Cowley County was awarded two sets of Turn Around Don’t Drown^® (TADD) Signs by the National Weather Service (NWS) to be placed along roads especially prone to flooding. 

Turn Around Don’t Drown^® is a campaign used by the NWS meant to warn drivers of roads that are covered in water and too dangerous to drive through. More deaths occur each year due to flooding than any other thunderstorm related hazard and over half of those are caused by vehicles being driven into the water. 

Janet Salazar, Service Hydrologist for the National Weather Service Office in Wichita, KS facilitated this project to support the vision of the NWS which is a Weather-Ready Nation: Society is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate-dependent events. 

“Cowley County is honored to receive these signs from the NWS.   The signs are a simple yet visible way to mitigate against the tragic loss that could occur from driving into a flooded roadway,” states Cowley County Emergency Management Director Brian Stone. 

The signs will be placed on 26^th Road for the area approximately .7 miles west of Rock and on 132^nd Road for the area 1.6 miles west of US 77. Both areas are commonly closed after heavy rains due to flooding from the Walnut River.

Janet Salazar, NWS; Brian Stone, Emergency Management;
Jon Jordan, Public Works