Improved TexasFlood.org Website Shows Spread of Floodwaters and Inundated Buildings by Gage Height
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has reorganized the sea of flood-related information and redesigned the TexasFlood.org website to provide a more user-friendly resource for Texans who want to increase their flood awareness and preparedness.
Given the deadly nature of flood events and the rapid timeframe in which they can occur, remaining flood-ready is essential.
One Feature Shows Flood Spread and Inundated Buildings by Gage Height
TexasFlood.org provides fundamental information on emergency preparation for and recovery from flood events, as well as web tools to better understand flood risk, in a format that is easy to access and easy to understand.
One of the most useful new features is an interactive map that shows the spread of floodwaters based on the gage height.
I selected the height of the highest gage reading during the May floods this year at FM1485 and the East Fork. Then I zoomed in and found that 36 structures were in danger of being inundated. You can even see their locations!
Information like this is not only useful when considering purchasing a building, but also when considering whether to evacuate.
Other Useful Features
TexasFlood.org also features resources and tools that allow users to:
- Review lake levels and river heights
- Check current precipitation totals and weather conditions
- Evaluate potential flood risk
- See the impacts of different hypothetical flooding scenarios
- Identify and connect with their local floodplain administrator
- Learn the primary types of flooding and basics of flood insurance
The website highlights the reasons why emergency preparedness is vital to proper flood preparedness, including the importance of floodproofing and awareness of second-order damages after a flood event.
One-Stop Information Shop
The TWDB has gathered important information from other local, state, and federal entities to provide the most relevant information for Texans in one convenient online location. Hurricane season runs through November 30 each year. And historically speaking, 80% of the storms for this year are still in front of us. Just today, the National Hurricane Center highlighted another area of concern in the Atlantic, bringing the active total to three.
So TWDB encourages all Texans to check out the revamped TexasFlood.org. Learn how to pack a flood kit, download resources to prepare family, review individual flood risk, plan an evacuation route, and more.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/7/2021 based on a press release by TWDB
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