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Course Outline

Flood Warnings

The issuance of flood (or, in some cases, flash flood) warnings by NOAA are linked to the flood stage.

The United States Geological Service (USGS) Current Water Data for the Nation website provides information on daily streamflow conditions.

  • The USGS has more than 1.9 million sites to collect water data (surface, water quality, and water use).
  • Data measurements are collected manually and by automatic recorders that monitor current conditions and update at fixed intervals.
  • Rescue professionals can obtain current information for their geographic area using the Daily Streamflow Conditions map on the USGS website.

The USGS WaterAlert service sends e-mail or text (SMS) messages when certain parameters, as measured by a USGS real-time data-collection station, exceed user-definable thresholds. For the rescue professional, that means that you can have messages delivered to your e-mail or smart device alerting you of the water conditions in a given location. To sign up for the service, visit the USGS WaterAlert website.

USCG map on current water data
  • Unit 2 of 4
  • Topic 3 of 5
  • Page 2 of 4
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