USGS Streamgage Network Offers Information On Flooding
Anyone interested in accessing information about what is happening to streams in your local area as a result of recent heavy rains can access the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) streamgage network at http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch.
USGS operates the nationwide streamgage network that monitors the water level and flow of the nation's rivers and streams. Through satellite and computer technology, streamgages transmit real-time information, which the National Weather Service (NWS) uses to issue warnings so local emergency managers can get people out of harm's way, and operators of flood-control dams and levees use to take action to reduce flood impacts. Streamgage data also help in designing structures resilient to flooding and are the basis for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program, the only federal insurance program for natural hazards.
The USGS works closely with the NWS, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other federal agencies and partners in every state, as well as many local governments, to fund and maintain about 7,000 streamgaging stations nationwide.
Additional information
For information on issues such as what to do about water from household wells after a flood or what should be done with a home septic system after a flood, go to EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/flooding.html. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection also has flood recovery tips at http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=508630.