Meaning & use
flood watch
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
An official weather notice telling people that conditions could cause flooding in a particular area, though it has not necessarily started.
Grammar: Often used with in effect or issued: a flood watch is in effect.
Patterns
- a flood watch for somewhere
- be under a flood watch
The weather service issued a flood watch for the entire valley.
A flood watch remains in effect until midnight.
The county is under a flood watch because of heavy rain.
nounsingular
The act of closely monitoring rivers or rainfall for signs of flooding.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like keep a flood watch.
Patterns
- keep a flood watch
Volunteers kept a flood watch along the riverbank all night.
Residents began a flood watch as the creek rose.
The village organized a flood watch with phone alerts.
Word forms
| plural | flood watches |
|---|
Common combinations
- issue a flood watch
- Forecasters issued a flood watch for coastal areas.
- a flood watch is in effect
- A flood watch is in effect until Friday morning.
- under a flood watch
- Three counties are under a flood watch.
- extend the flood watch
- Officials extended the flood watch through the weekend.
- cancel a flood watch
- The agency canceled the flood watch when the storm moved away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flood warning
- A warning is more serious, since flooding is occurring or expected, while a watch only says flooding is possible.
- flood alert
- Flood alert is a general British term, whereas flood watch is a specific official level in American weather notices.
- flood advisory
- An advisory is for minor flooding that is an inconvenience, while a watch refers to the potential for more serious flooding.
- flood outlook
- An outlook is a longer-range forecast that flooding may occur, and a watch is shorter-term and more urgent.
Word family
Commonly confused: flood watch or flood warning?
flood watch vs flood warning
A flood warning means flooding is happening or is about to start, so it calls for action, while a flood watch means be prepared.
Practice
The weather service issued a ____ because heavy rain might cause rivers to overflow later that night.
Choose one answer.
A flood watch signals that flooding is possible. A flood warning would mean flooding is already happening or imminent, which is stronger than the sentence says.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “flood watch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.