1. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
WHAT IS IT?
• REAL-TIME DATA COLLECTION AND
FLOOD WARNING SYSTEM
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2. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
HISTORY
• HURRICANE AGNES JUNE 1972. PRECIPITATION WAS 6 INCHES A DAY. JAMES
RIVER VIRGINIA CRESTED 36.5 FEET, HIGHEST IN 200 YEAR (VDEM, 2014).
DAMAGE: 1400 HOMES; ROADS, BRIDGES DESTROYED; 13 PEOPLE KILLED;
COST OF DAMAGE AMOUNTED TO $325 MILLION.
• DEVASTATING FLOODING OF 1977 AFFECTED KENTUCKY, VIRGINIA AND WEST
VIRGINIA. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) INITIATED NATIONAL FLASH
FLOOD DEVELOPMENT IN 1978, INFLOWS DEVELOPED FROM THIS AS JOINT
EFFORT WITH STATES.
• PROTOTYPE STARTED 1980, 12 COUNTIES ON THE APPALACHIAN,
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO FLOODING (VDEM, 2014).
• 1985, CONGRESS APPROVED NWS INFLOWS FUNDING; EXPAND TO COVER
BEYOND INITIAL 7 STATES. LINKED AND INTEGRATED DATA AND
INFORMATION THROUGH 250 COMPUTERS; 1500 SENSORS; 12 STATES AND
120 COUNTIES.
3. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
OBJECTIVES:
STRENGTHEN STATE’S MITIGATION
CAPACITY
REDUCE:
LOSS OF LIFE
PROPERTY DAMAGE
LIMIT DISRUPTION OF ECONOMIC
ACTIVITIES
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4. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
• COMPOSED OF NETWORK:
SENSORS
o STREAM GAUGE: PRESSURE TRANSDUCER,
RESERVOIR. DEPTH TRANSMITTED VHF
o RAIN GAUGE: PIPE, SCREENED FUNNEL, TIPPING
BUCKET, 0.04 INCH, COUNTS TRANSMITTED VHF
POWER SOURCE: SOLAR POWER
TWO-WAY RF COMMUNICATIONS
(TRANSMITTER, REPEATER, RECEIVER),
SOFTWARE (OS AND DATABASE)
HARDWARE (COMPUTERS SYSTEMS)
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5. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
• NOTE:
• HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
DEPLOYED FROM DIFFERENT
VENDORS.
• PRIVATELY OWNED AND RUN
SYSTEMS CAN BE ALLOWED READ-
ONLY ACCESS FROM INFLOWS
NETWORK (INSTITUTIONS,
RESEARCHERS, AGENCIES).
IMAGES FROM
6. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
VIRGINIA INFLOWS
JOINT PROGRAM:
• NWS AND VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (VDEM)
AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
ROLES
NWS
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, NATIONALLY
FUNDING (SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATION DESIGN,
CAPITAL COSTS (COMPUTERS, TRANSMITTERS, SENSORS, RAIN GAUGES ETC.).
VDEM
PROGRAM MANAGER AND ASSISTANT (COORDINATION)
O & M OF CENTRAL COMPUTERS
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
FLASH FLOOD COORDINATOR
PREMISES FOR COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
7. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
VIRGINIA INFLOWS
35 LOCAL AUTHORITIES
282 RAIN SENSORS
80 STREAM SENSORS
PROTOCOL
DATA TRANSMITTED REAL-TIME TO COUNTY
LOCATIONS COMPUTERS. DATA PROCESSED AND
(VDEM, 2014).
OPTIONS
STAND ALONE
INTEGRATED; SEND INFLOWS DATABASES BY VSP
MICROWAVE SYSTEM, STATE & NATIONALLY
8. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED
INFLOWS
LOCATION
• RAPIDAN RIVER AT ROUTE 29
• ROBINSON RIVER AT ROUTE
29
9. INFLOWS
INTEGRATED FLOOD OBSERVATION AND WARNING
SYSTEM
INFLOWS LIMITATIONS
COST (PURCHASE, INSTALLATION, O & M)
TECHNOLOGY CHANGE
FAILURE (CALIBRATION, DISTURBANCE-
CAUSED)
10. REFERENCE
Virginia Department of Emergency Management, 2014. Integrated Flood Observing and Warning
Systems (IFLOWS). Web site
http://www.vaemergency.gov/content/integrated-flood-observing-and-warning-systems-iflows
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2013. Upper and Middle Rappahannock River Report 2013.
http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Portals/31/docs/business/FPMS/PASDocuments/App_A_4a.pdf