State and Federal Partnership in Creating a Virginia Statewide Flood Monitoring Network to Enhance Hydrologic Services

State and Federal Partnership in Creating a Virginia Statewide Flood Monitoring Network to Enhance Hydrologic Services

Jeremy Geiger

NOAA/NWS Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office

Sterling, VA

Steven Pyle and Sarah Chappel

Virginia Department of Emergency Management

Richmond, VA

Nicholas Fillo

NOAA/NWS Blacksburg Weather Forecast Office

Blacksburg, VA

Johnathan Kirk

NOAA/NWS Mid-Atlantic River Forecast Center

State College, PA

The Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. experiences a wide range of weather hazards. One of the most dangerous and common hazards is flooding, mainly in the forms of flash flooding and river flooding. The National Weather Service (NWS) is the federal agency responsible for issuing watches and warnings to alert the public about flood-related hazards across the United States. NWS meteorologists and hydrologists use a range of tools, including radar, satellite, models, and ground sensors, to provide early warning to the public. Among the most important of these tools are rain and river sensors, maintained by local, state, and federal agencies, which provide reliable and accurate water level, streamflow, and rainfall information. This information is critical because it serves as ground truth to verify what is being observed by radar and satellite.

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) has created a new division, named the Flood Intel Unit, whose main focus will be collecting and sharing important flood-related intelligence with local, state, and federal partners. One of the first orders of business was to create and implement a newly revitalized statewide flood gauge network. This has been a collaborative effort between VDEM, various state agencies, and federal partners such as the National Weather Service.

This presentation will provide an overview on how VDEM is collaborating with the NWS to develop a newly revitalized statewide rainfall and flood monitoring system. Additionally, the presentation will provide a brief history of Virginia's previous gauge network with its limitations, and how current efforts aim to develop a new collaborative flood network based on the most advanced technology. The installation of this new network of water-level and rain gauges will provide critical information to local, state and federal agencies and will help in the protection of life and property.