Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

According to National Weather Service, floods kill about 80 people in the United States per year on average. Nearly half of those deaths are in Texas, and more than 60 percent of people die within a vehicle. When water levels are rising, obtaining critical information about impacted areas can be difficult, especially when a computer isn’t readily available.

The new, mobile-friendly website/app will allow users to quickly locate USGS gages in Texas that measure streamflow, stream height, rainfall or lake levels so that users can get up-to-date information on water conditions near where they are located. The app provides critical data during flood events and can also be used by recreationalists to help determine the best places or times to go boating, fishing or hiking.

The app offers three ways to view streamflow or other data, including, using your phone’s GPS system, clicking on an area of interest, or searching for a physical location. Results show what is happening in streams and lakes near you and how quickly conditions are changing around you.

“Water On-the-Go” also includes integration with USGS Water Alert.  Released in 2010, Water Alert is a subscription service that provides user-specified water information at USGS streamgage locations direct to your mobile device or email inbox. Water Alert can provide messages on an hourly or daily basis.  Click the ‘subscribe’ button in the “Water On-the-Go” mobile app to get connected.

Texans can go to https://txpub.usgs.gov/water-onthego/ and bookmark the link today.

For more than 125 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the United States. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk, and for many recreational activities.

Receive instant updates about water conditions in your area via text message by accessing WaterNow. Learn how a USGS streamgage works. View USGS Texas Water Dashboard to see more information about current streamflow conditions in Texas. Follow @USGS_TexasFlood and @USGS_TexasRain on Twitter to get real-time streamflow and precipitation information in Texas direct to your mobile device.