Flint River Flood Tracking

 Main project page

Project summary

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local agencies, operates a Flood Monitoring System in the Flint River Basin. This system is a network of automated river stage stations (eleven are shown in this project) that transmit river stage data through satellite and telephone telemetry to the USGS Georgia Water Science Center (WSC) in Atlanta. During floods the public and emergency response agencies use this information to make decisions about road closures, evacuations, and other public safety issues.

A Flint River Basin Flood-Tracking Chart has been developed which can be used by local citizens and emergency response personnel to record the latest river stage and access the predicted flood-crest information along the Flint River and Kinchafoonee, Muckalee, Ichawaynochaway, and Spring Creeks. By comparing the current stage (water-surface level above a datum) and the predicted flood crest to the recorded peak stages of previous floods, emergency response personnel and residents can make informed decisions concerning the threat to life and property.

The chart shows a map of the basin with the location of selected real-time river stage stations, which are listed by name and station number. For each site, colored bars represent the five highest recorded peak stages and the years in which they occurred. For each of the selected stations there is a flood forecast point, the predicted flood-crest information from the National Weather Service (NWS) can be recorded. USGS data are used by the NWS for their flood forecasting models. The NWS routinely broadcasts this forecast information to the news media and on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio (NWR). Current NWR broadcast frequencies can be accessed at http://www.srh.noaa.gov.