Floods and Droughts

In 2014, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began sponsorship of the InFRM team initiative to allow Federal teams across the States of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Arkansas to better align and integrate. Currently, the InFRM team is comprised of FEMA, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Geological Survey, and the National Weather Service. Information about the Interagency...

The Texas Water Dashboard is a web mapping application that presents U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) real-time stream, lake, reservoir, precipitation, and well data in Texas in context with current weather and hazard conditions. Real-time measurements from over 750 USGS observation stations in Texas are accessible from the map viewer, along with complementary map layers such as current precipitation...

The purpose of this flood inundation mapping effort will be to meet the needs of real-time emergency managers by bridging the gap between the NWS's river forecasts and FEMA's available hydraulic modeling and mapping.

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey related flooding, the USGS Texas Water Science Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiated a cooperative study to evaluate the magnitude of the flood, determine the probability of occurrence, and map the extent of the flood in Texas.

Risk of future flooding events in the Bandera County area highlights a critical need for a flood warning system. As part of the flood warning system, a tool set is needed to enhance the communication of flood risk and provide emergency managers additional information necessary to better mitigate the impacts of flooding. The USGS Texas Water Science Center is helping build this tool set through...

Annual peak streamflow (peak flow) at a streamgage is defined as the maximum instantaneous flow in a water year. A water year begins on October 1 and continues through September 30 of the following year. This definition of a water year is used because it more closely follows seasonal weather patterns. Peak flows in Texas can range from zero flow in very dry basins to flows that cause flooding and...

The Texas Water Science Center studies drought and low flow conditions as they arise across Texas.

Flood-inundation maps created by the USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) allow users to view the possible extent and depth of flooding during a specific type of storm event. Flood inundation maps may be created using hydraulic models or by using data collected after a storm event (high-water marks). Visit the links below for more information on our data and science.

The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) has a hurricane response program which includes a rapid-deployment storm-surge monitor network in advance of hurricanes, real-time monitoring of streamflow throughout the impacted area during a hurricane, and collection of high-water marks and assessment of floods after hurricanes. Visit the links below for more information on our data and...

The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) is developing hardened early flood warning systems to help first responders and citizens. This includes: • Flood hardened gages raised high above and set away from the measured stream. • Redundant data collection and transmission paths. • Automated notification systems for emergency managers and the general public. Visit the links below for more...