Sign Wars: Ep.1: Hazards Of The Wet

[CoreySamson]

Note: I'm going to start a new series of posts on the forum called Sign Wars that will discuss signage that has one purpose (in this case, warning against water-related hazards), but has many different ways of execution (i.e, different messages on each sign). Each episode will have a funny, Star Wars-inspired intro and will discuss a single type of sign. A common theme of these topics will be whether standardization of these signs should happen, or if they should have unique messages for their situation. But that's enough of this note; let's get on with the show!


Episode 1: Hazards Of The Wet

It is a dark time for warning signage. Their attempts to save human drivers from the dreaded FLASH FLOODING have failed to various degrees. Their defenses are disorganized, misplaced, and sometimes plain crap:

Meanwhile the enemy has grown stronger as a result of climate change, and it seems they cannot be stopped. Whilst the higher-ups among the warning signs are arguing about Clearview and FHWA, several renegade signs in the Houston area, a wasteland repeatedly destroyed by the enemy, have proposed a new, simpler message; one that gets the point across to the humans; that the "ROAD MAY FLOOD". It is now up to them to convince their verbose counterparts that simplicity and clearness are necessary to save the world.



Silly intro aside, the state of our warning signs when it comes to warning about water-related weather hazards is fairly inconsistent. Some, like the new Houston ones I mentioned in the in the intro that say "ROAD MAY FLOOD", get the point across clearly, while others are quite a bit more verbose. Here's a three questions about water warning signs that I have.

1. Should there be a pictorial warning sign for water hazards such as flooding?

2. Should most of the water warning signs be standardized except for unique situations?

3. What do these types of signs near you say?

Feel free to bring up anything related to water warning signs that you like, and if you know of any convoluted or funny water warning signs, feel free to share. May the signs be with you!

[GaryV]

Maybe ... or maybe not.

Really, was it too hard to put a space in so it would properly read "May Be"? 

For that matter, try "Road May Flood" and the message is conveyed with even fewer letters.

[hotdogPi]

The current wording is the only wording that is consistent with Massachusetts's "Go Children Slow" type signs, which are also found at entrances to buildings (probably nationwide) on automatic caution doors.

I would still change it, though.

[formulanone]

Here's the Jar Jar of wet road signage...it seems to be a southern Illinois variety:

[GaryA]

I was out last weekend on Little Tujunga Canyon just north of Los Angeles, and saw this "ALGAE MAY BE PRESENT" sign.  It was a lot drier when I went through, but you can tell that the roadway does see occasional water here.

[CoreySamson]

I was out last weekend on Little Tujunga Canyon just north of Los Angeles, and saw this "ALGAE MAY BE PRESENT" sign.  It was a lot drier when I went through, but you can tell that the roadway does see occasional water here.

The sign that simply just says "FLOODED" in the background is interesting, too. I wonder how often that road actually gets flooded.

[jemacedo9]

PA had "ROADWAY SUBJECT TO FLOODING" for a while but recent installations use the ROAD MAY FLOOD sign now.  There are probably still several of the older signs in the field.

[hbelkins]

Kentucky used to signed some locations as "Water Possible On Roadway," mainly on high-speed routes to warn of possible hydroplaning. I had a photo up on the now-defunct Millennium Highway site.

Now, the state signs some locations with "High Water Possible" signs in areas that are prone to flooding either because of flash flooding (low creekbanks) or backwater (low-lying areas near rivers.)

[CardInLex]

"ROAD MAY FLOOD"  is the standard MUTCD sign.

Louisville Metro has a few of these ancient signs along River Road.

"FLOOD HAZARD AREA
BASE FLOOD ELEVATION IS
APPROX. 15 FT ABOVE GROUND"

"FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT MSD ###-#### OR
DIV. OF WATER 1-###-####."

Good luck trying to read that while driving. And I just realized the second phone number isn't even a valid number.

https://goo.gl/maps/WrtjYP2TkSthepp8A
https://goo.gl/maps/U6zigm8zsYKc9poy5

[US71]

US 285 in Colorado


Road may flood, coffee may be hot

[Brian556]

Note: I'm going to start a new series of posts on the forum called Sign Wars that will discuss signage that has one purpose (in this case, warning against water-related hazards), but has many different ways of execution (i.e, different messages on each sign). Each episode will have a funny, Star Wars-inspired intro and will discuss a single type of sign. A common theme of these topics will be whether standardization of these signs should happen, or if they should have unique messages for their situation. But that's enough of this note; let's get on with the show!


Episode 1: Hazards Of The Wet

It is a dark time for warning signage. Their attempts to save human drivers from the dreaded FLASH FLOODING have failed to various degrees. Their defenses are disorganized, misplaced, and sometimes plain crap:

Meanwhile the enemy has grown stronger as a result of climate change, and it seems they cannot be stopped. Whilst the higher-ups among the warning signs are arguing about Clearview and FHWA, several renegade signs in the Houston area, a wasteland repeatedly destroyed by the enemy, have proposed a new, simpler message; one that gets the point across to the humans; that the "ROAD MAY FLOOD". It is now up to them to convince their verbose counterparts that simplicity and clearness are necessary to save the world.



Silly intro aside, the state of our warning signs when it comes to warning about water-related weather hazards is fairly inconsistent. Some, like the new Houston ones I mentioned in the in the intro that say "ROAD MAY FLOOD", get the point across clearly, while others are quite a bit more verbose. Here's a three questions about water warning signs that I have.

1. Should there be a pictorial warning sign for water hazards such as flooding?

2. Should most of the water warning signs be standardized except for unique situations?

3. What do these types of signs near you say?

Feel free to bring up anything related to water warning signs that you like, and if you know of any convoluted or funny water warning signs, feel free to share. May the signs be with you!

I like it for its honesty. That should be extended to other signs that are often posted when no hazard exists. Examples. RIGHT LANE MIGHT BE CLOSED. THERE MIGHT BE A FLAGMAN AHEAD, ECT

Here's the most retarded one I've ever seen in Sherman, Texas: https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6403719,-96.6055876,3a,22.4y,83.5h,88.84t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sA3mZcUPA7mzx8IGM29eJXQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DA3mZcUPA7mzx8IGM29eJXQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D80.22599%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

[gr8daynegb]

The ability to be a road sign does not mean the road sign is intelligent.

[ErmineNotyours]

Maui.

[roadfro]

Maui.

Interesting... Where's the red post?

[hotdogPi]

Maui.

Interesting... Where's the red post?

If you look carefully, the post the sign is on is red, except for the very bottom part.

[Revive 755]

Missouri has 'Impassible During High Water'.

St. Louis County, MO uses a two line "Road Flooded" sign.

[US71]

Missouri has 'Impassible During High Water'.

St. Louis County, MO uses a two line "Road Flooded" sign.

Mississippi has


Louisiana

[ErmineNotyours]

Renton, Washington.  An earlier version of the railroad bridge at this site used to cross a river that dried up when the Lake Washington Ship Canal was constructed.

Maui.

Interesting... Where's the red post?

Look to the red-posted guard rail to the left of the road, down stream.

[UCFKnights]

Here's one:

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.3943996,-80.1554082,3a,41.4y,281.64h,88.59t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHFapzcCVFvoK1s-xlHgueQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I lived by here for over a decade, the only time I've seen any sort of flooding on this road was after hurricanes clogged the drains, and even then, it was super minor.

[jay8g]

I've always thought this sign on Ediz Hook in Port Angeles rather interesting, mostly for the multiple font sizes. It's warning of waves from large winter storms rather than normal flooding, and I'm sure I've seen a picture of it with storm debris in the background, but I can't seem to find it.

Port Angeles also has some more typical "flooded during storm" signs -- these are on US 101, but I'm pretty sure they were installed by the city, and they're somewhere I've never seen flooding myself so I have no idea why they're there.