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Wednesday September 5, 2012
Featured by USGS, a member of the U.S. Global Change Research Program
USGS boat launched during 2011 flood waters in Louisiana. Credit: USGS
The worst of the storm may be over, but Isaacs’s impacts on the Gulf coastline and the potential for inland flooding continue. While precipitation continues to affect states in the storm track, drought conditions persist in many other parts of the country.
Multiple USGS field crews from several states are recording high-water marks, collecting discharge measurements and obtaining water quality data in coastal and inland Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This information is important because it is used by the National Weather Service to issue flood warnings, and the data is also used by emergency responders and planners to mitigate current and future flood hazards. These crews are being augmented by USGS staff from the Georgia Water Science Center. As the storm continues to move, crews from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas remain ready to address flooding along the storm’s track.
USGS field crews have also begun retrieving the 170 storm surge sensors and 17 temporary real-time gages that were deployed in response to Hurricane Isaac in locations where the storm has passed. Data from these sensors networks will be uploaded to the USGS Hurricane Storm Tide Sensor Map. The sensors provide critical data for more accurate modeling and prediction capabilities and allows for improved structure designs and response for public safety. Read more
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