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Service hydrologists from local NWS offices coordinate with emergency management and other local officials to
select the best locations for the signs. The USGS is involved as well,
providing historical data and aiding with the surveying of high water
marks in their districts.
Following the success of this 2007 pilot project, SERFC
hopes to partner with more WFOs to install additional high water mark
signs. Local residents who lived through a severe flood will not soon
forget its effects, but the signs will raise awareness of the dangers of
flooding for new residents and future generations.
Would your community like a sign?
If you're in the NWS or emergency management community,
and you'd like to request a sign for your area, please provide the
following information: community affected, river name, and the date and
crest height MSL of the record flood. The SERFC is planning to purchase
one sign for each WFO in their service area; WFOs that desire more signs
will need to purchase the additional units themselves. The cost is
similar to that of a StormReady sign, so they are quite affordable. If
the record flood was caused by a landfalling tropical system, the sign
will also contain the name of the storm.
Things to consider
The first step is to coordinate with local officials
about the sign project. If they agree in principle, decide with them on the
best location for the sign. The purpose of the project is to raise
awareness of how bad flooding can be; a high water mark sign on the wall
of a building on Main St. will be more impressive than a signpost near
the riverbank. Think "wow factor". You'll also need to obtain permission
from the facility's owner; for this reason, it's often easier if the
building is city property.
Consult with the appropriate USGS office about official
high water levels. Surveying may be needed for correct placement of the
sign.
You'll want to have the sign installed well before the
day of the unveiling, in case of unforeseen issues that might arise.
After the pre-installation, remove the sign itself until the day of the
ceremony. Early that day, replace the sign and cover it with something
that can be removed at the proper moment.
Invite the media, elected officials and others from
various levels of government; don't forget the USGS and other
water-related entities in the area. If the flood was recent enough,
consider inviting a survivor or two to tell their stories -- especially
if they involve the building or immediate area where the sign is being
placed.
High Water Mark Sign
Project
The SERFC is partnering with several
Eastern and Southern Region WFOs to place high water mark signs in their
areas. The signs are installed in well-trafficked areas that were
affected by the flood of record. Often, the signs will be located quite
a distance from the river, in order to better demonstrate the severity
of the flood. The signs clearly identify the SERFC, appropriate WFO, and
the USGS, promoting heightened visibility of the partnership involved in
hydrologic predictions at the river site.
Eric Frantz, USGS student
employee, and his father Kent Frantz, Senior Service Hydrologist for
WFO Atlanta, installed the Rome, GA sign as a team.
The first sign was unveiled in
Rome, Georgia, on March 21, 2007, during Flood Safety Awareness
Week. Rome’s record flood occurred on April 1, 1886, when the
Oostanaula River rose to a stage of 40.3 feet, inundating some parts
of downtown Rome with more than 20 feet of water. Several of the signs
commemorate severe flooding in the wake of 1999’s Hurricane Floyd.
Signs were unveiled in Franklin, Virginia and
Tarboro, North Carolina on May 22nd and 23rd,
2007, as part of Hurricane Preparedness Week.
Wadley, Alabama received a sign
on May 8, 2008, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of their record
flood. Several other signs are also slated to debut in 2008: for
North Carolina, the communities of Snow Hill, Pollocksville,
Greenville, Belhaven, and Kinston will receive signs, and for South
Carolina, a sign will be installed in Conway.
Picture Web Site of Rome, GA Sign Ceremony
Slide Show - 22 MB
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