Flood Detection and Warning Chemung River Basin

Michael A. Sprague, Director

Steuben County Office of Emergency Services&President, Environmental Emergency Services

Environmental Emergency Services, Inc.Environmental Emergency Services, Inc.

The Need For Real-Time Flood Information

Where Are We ? One of the Sister Watersheds !

Geographic features: The Chemung River is formed by the confluence of the Tioga River, flowing northward from Pennsylvania, and the Cohocton River, flowing southeast in New York. The Chemung joins the Susquehanna River at Sayre, Pennsylvania.

Drainage area: 2,604 square milesMajor tributaries: Chemung, Tioga, Cohocton, Cowanesque, CanisteoPopulation: 250,323 (6% of the total basin population)Major population centers: Elmira, Corning, Hornell (all in NY)

Water Use: 59.8% Power Generation22.4% Municipal 9.7% Industrial 4.2% Agricultural 3.9% Domestic

The Chemung Basin

What Do We Have ?

The Great Flood ??The Great Flood ?? 1784 -- The Ice Flood1784 -- The Ice Flood 1786 -- The Pumpkin Flood1786 -- The Pumpkin Flood

1794 -- flood 15-19 feet above normal1794 -- flood 15-19 feet above normal

1817 -- The Pumpkin Flood1817 -- The Pumpkin Flood May 1833 -- “The Great Inundation”May 1833 -- “The Great Inundation”

November 1857 -- The “Big Flood”November 1857 -- The “Big Flood”

September 1861 -- The “TremendousSeptember 1861 -- The “TremendousFlood”Flood”

May 1864 -- first floor floodingMay 1864 -- first floor flooding

March 1865 -- sets newMarch 1865 -- sets new highwater highwater marks marks

January 1886 -- flooding “hill to hill”January 1886 -- flooding “hill to hill” June 1889 -- “The Big Flood of 1889”June 1889 -- “The Big Flood of 1889”

November 1889November 1889

May 1894May 1894 November 1900November 1900

July 1902July 1902

August 1903August 1903 March 1918March 1918

August 1920August 1920

July 1935 -- The “Finger Lakes Flood”July 1935 -- The “Finger Lakes Flood” May 1946 -- “all time high” 8” below dikesMay 1946 -- “all time high” 8” below dikes

June 1972 -- Hurricane Agnes, flood of record, tops dikes, village of Painted Post covered by 30 feet of water

September 1975 -- Hurricane Eloise June 1976 -- “Fathers Day Flood” June 1984 August 1984 August 1994 January 1996 -- 41 county flood November 1996 -- severe flash flooding June & September 2004 – 3 FF Events

The “Great Flood” - 1972The “Great Flood” - 1972

Tropical storm Agnes, June 23, 1972Tropical storm Agnes, June 23, 1972 Affected all of the Susquehanna River BasinAffected all of the Susquehanna River Basin

25 fatalities in Steuben County25 fatalities in Steuben County

Considered flood of record for Tioga,Considered flood of record for Tioga,Canisteo, Cohocton and Chemung riversCanisteo, Cohocton and Chemung rivers

$750 million in damages$750 million in damages

Environmental Emergency Services

E.E.S. – A 3 county not-for-profit incorporation (501-c 3) Chemung Schuyler and Steuben Counties, Formerly the Chemung River Basin Flood Warning Support Corporation

To Advise and Inform the Populace of Chemung and Steuben Counties of Severe Flooding, Drought and Hazardous materials Incidents which Contribute to Environmental Emergencies

A Self-Help Group

Consensus for a self-help program – 1979 – “How Can We Help Ourselves !”

Steering committee formed Memorandum of Understanding

developed Formed as Chemung River Basin

Support Corporation ---- 1981 Automated data collection equipment

installed ----- 1984

Why a “LOCAL” System

Interest - Repeated Flooding

Demand to “FIX” Need for Education Ability to Foster

Better Community Response

Take Advantage of Local Resources

Need - Repeated Flooding

Loss of Outside Info Tailored Information Greater Lead Time Create A Focus Group Coordinate,

Coordinate, Coordinate!

Our Make-up

Local Industry Counties Cities Towns Villages

•County EMO’s – 3 counties•NYS DEC Flood Personnel•Southern Tier Regional Planning •City of Corning•City of Elmira•City of Hornell•Flood Operations Volunteers•Motor Components, LCC•Corning Inc.•Town of Erwin•SWCD – 3 Counties•NWS•USGS

Elements of A Successful Local Flood Warning System Interest/need for a “LOCAL” system

Cooperation/community involvement

Local Funding and Support Grants Be Creative We Know “IT” Will Happen Again !

Budget – How We Make It Work

Annual Budget: $31,750 Counties $18,400 Municipalities $13,350 Cities-$2,000Towns-$2,000-$250Villages-$500-$250

Annual Report to All Municipalities

Evolution of the Current System• Emergency Operation Center - Staffed by Volunteers

• Consolidated Information Center

• Originally Based on “Long Term Flood Events”

• Simplified Flood Forecasting Computer Model - NWS Assistance

• ‘90’s Forced an Evolution to “Short Term-Flash Flood Events”

• EOC became a “Clearing House” for Basin-wide information

• Allows Emergency Management Offices, NWS and Corps “Hands-Free” information exchange

• Became a Pilot Site for “IP” based IFLOWS deployment

• Challenge to evolve as NWS technology advances

Hydrologic Development and Verification

• Many Events - Lots of Data

• Local Involvement Provides Verification and Feedback

• Able to Identify Basin Issues - Particularly Troublesome Tributaries

Changes to the Basin

• Sitting of Additional Gauges - NWS Hydrologist Input

• Development of “Standard Ratings” for new gauges

• Cost Effective Approach

Help the Weather Service Help Us

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