Word of the day: areal

I saw it up in the corner of the TV screen, the name of some nearby county, followed by FLOOD WATCH (AREAL). Was that a typo for aerial ?

No, areal is a word, and not one of recent invention. Merriam-Webster: “of, relating to, or involving an area,” with the first known use in 1676.

If the weather report is naming a county, is there any reason to say that the flood watch is areal? Doesn’t the name of the county designate the area? Or does areal mean that the danger extends beyond the county?

In 2011, CBS News New York asked “What the Heck Is an ‘Areal’ Flood Warning Anyway??” Answer: there’s a potential for flooding over a large area. Like a county, I guess.