Flood Alarm Help

Flood Alarm

A flood occurs whenever the observed river stage exceeds an officially designated flood stage (green line). At the time of forecast preparation, it is not possible to state with certainty whether or not a flood will occur on any of the following three days. However, it is possible to state the probability of flood at 7:00 am on each of the following three days. This is the probability that the river stage will exceed the flood stage.

The NWS forecasters use the probability of flood as a guidance (in combination with other hydrometeorological information, their knowledge, and experience) to decide a flood watch or a flood warning. The guidance is displayed automatically based on three thresholds:

  • flood stage threshold (which is specific to the forecast point),
  • watch probability threshold (which is 0.3),
  • warning probability threshold (which is 0.7).

    These thresholds delineate two boxes in the graphic of the exceedance function: a watch box and a warning box.

    Watch Guidance

    Exceedance function - watch frame Whenever the probability of the river stage exceeding the flood stage (green line) is greater than 0.3, the frame of the watch box turns yellow. In the example, this probability is 0.61.

    Flood Watch

    Exceedance function - watch issued Whenever a flood watch has been issued by the NWS, the inside of the watch box on the Decision Rule page turns yellow. The intensity of the yellow signifies the degree of urgency: the closer the exceedance function to the upper right corner of the box, the greater the probability of flooding, and the higher the level that will be flooded with a given probability.

    Warning Guidance

    Exceedance function - watch and warning frames Whenever the probability of the river stage exceeding the flood stage (green line) is greater than 0.7, the frame of the warning box turns red. In the example, this probability is 0.97.

    Flood Warning

    Exceedance function - warning issued Whenever a flood warning has been issued by the NWS, the inside of the warning box on the Decision Rule page turns red. The intensity of the red signifies the degree of urgency: the closer the exceedance function to the upper right corner of the box, the greater the probability of flooding, and the higher the level that will be flooded with a given probability.

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