SAN ANTONIO (Texas News Radio) — The National Weather Service wants to get a new song stuck in your head reminding you to “Turn Around Don’t Drown.”
The government agency released the new public service announcement and jingle Tuesday featuring Matt Hawk, a musician from South Texas, singing a new stylized tune of the federally trademarked saying.
The agency stated that Texas is particularly prone to flash flooding and experiences more deaths from the disaster than any other state.
“We can have 9-10 months of no rain, then suddenly get a torrential downpour, causing widespread flooding,” Hawk said. “People get amnesia about the danger, especially adults who have a thousand things on their minds and take to the roads by habit, without thinking.”
Hawk said he wanted to work on the song for the National Weather Service after a young woman died in a car during a flash flood shortly before her high school graduation.
He said the upbeat tune to get kids to sing along to it.
“I wrote the song with children in mind – if we can get children singing this upbeat, fun song, they can pressure their parents to make the right decision in a light-hearted way, and maybe save a carload of people or two,” he said.
The video was filmed in Medina County, west of San Antonio.