I really wish that the meteorologists and reporters would learn what a “Flash Flood” is,
There is no “Flash Flooding” in the panhandle of Florida….Flooding? Yes. Lots of that. But Flash Floods are a totally different thing. It takes elevation and large areas that gather water and concentrate it which then runs downhill rapidly, leaving a wall of water that inundates things in it’s path. There is no geography like that in Florida. “Flash Floods” simply can’t happen there. Floods there don’t grow at a rate of tens of feet in minutes. They happen (relatively) slowly. Flooding? yeah, Florida has a lot of that…But even storm surge doesn’t happen that quickly.
“Flooding” is not “Flash Flooding”. If you’ve ever experienced a Flash Flood, you’d know the difference.
I know they think it is more dramatic to say “Flash Flood” but that is really untrue.
Indeed you are right. I live out West. I’ve seen areas flood that are MANY MILES from the weather that caused it. You need MOUNTAINS. You need DOWNSTREAM SOIL that’s unable to absorb the water flowing from them. It’s THAT SIMPLE. It may or may not be a wall of water, but it WILL deposit A LOT of water in a low-lying area VERY QUICKLY.
That being said, tidal and storm surges can happen REALLY QUICKLY. The flooding may not grow tens of feet in MINUTES, but CAN happen quicker than you can react or respond to the threat. ‘All depends on the slope inland from the sea. The shallower the slope, the quicker the flooding. I’ve lived in that kind of area as well, and am speaking from experience, both as a civilian and a retired Coast Guardsman…
Another factor in “flash floods” is trash like branches in the stream that slow the leading front of the flood. In effect, it becomes a moving-dam. The ground goes from dry to a frenzied froth of churning trash that can knock your brains out and 6′ feet of water in seconds.