Observations, Predictions, and Warnings: Three Pillars of Flood Resilience
Three woman-led businesses, FloodMapp, Green Stream, and The Warn Room partnered to deliver a holistic flood resilience solution for Botetourt County in Southwestern Virginia. The project was made possible by RISE, and funded by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
Observations via ground-truth flood sensors: Green Stream installed water level monitoring stations on bridges and waterways across the county. The low cost but highly effective stations deliver real-time water level data, allowing first responders to track rising creeks and rivers. This data is vital for issuing early warnings and closing roads before floods reach dangerous levels, and it is also used to inform FloodMapp’s prediction models for maximum accuracy.
Real-Time Flood Prediction: FloodMapp’s data-driven forecasting platform leverages operational hydrology and hydraulic modeling, machine learning and automation to deliver live flood forecasts and flood inundation maps integrated within local emergency management systems. Officials can use Esri ArcGIS online and other tools to visualize three separate live mapping services, ForeCast, NowCast and PostCast, showing where floodwaters will rise, peak and recede and what areas or assets will be impacted before, during, and after an event, enabling faster, targeted decisions such as evacuations and road closures.
Enhanced Alert Messaging: The Warn Room provides expert guidance to craft clear, actionable flood alerts and get them to the right people so they can understand the threat and take action to protect themselves.
Three companies, complementary capabilities, one mission: protecting people and property from increasing flooding.
Learn more about the project by visiting the links below:
