Tropical Storm Debby brought some Florida river and lake locations to records levels
USGS Florida crews repair streamgages and record historic water levels
To learn more about USGS’s role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Tropical Storm Debby, visit the USGS Tropical Storm Debby page at https//usgs.gov/debby.
TAMPA, Fla. – Just hours after Tropical Storm Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Florida’s Gulf Coast Monday, U.S. Geological Survey crews were out recording floodwater measurements.
Three streamgages in the Florida USGS network recorded “peaks of record,” meaning they reached the highest level ever since the streamgages were installed.
At USGS streamgage locations in Knights, Bradenton, and Sarasota, Florida, floodwater levels Monday were at peak levels—which are considered preliminary until some verification work is complete. The longest-running of the three locations, Knights, has been collecting water level data for 77 years.
“It is really important for our teams to get out immediately after flooding to ensure that our equipment is reporting correctly,” said Corin Downs, a USGS Supervisory Hydrologic Technician overseeing the measurement of floodwaters.
Downs explained the near real-time data provided by the USGS’s streamgage network, which includes about 440 gauges throughout Florida, provides vital information for emergency managers and local authorities preparing for or responding to storms. The information can be used for making decisions on which areas to evacuate, when to close roadways and bridges, and informs flood forecasts.
The USGS’s Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center sent nine teams out on Monday, while eight teams are in the field today to measure floodwaters and repair two gauges that were fully submerged by the storm. Measurements and repairs will continue tomorrow.
Weather forecasters had previously projected the slow-moving Debby to be a major rain event, with the National Hurricane Center warning of potentially historic rainfall across southeast Georgia and the coastal plain of South Carolina through Saturday morning, likely resulting in catastrophic flooding in some locations. The NHC added that considerable flooding impacts are expected in portions of central and northern Florida and across central and northeast North Carolina, also through Saturday morning.
As the USGS continues to respond to areas already affected by Debby, those in the storm’s projected path can visit Ready.gov or Listo.gov for tips on creating emergency plans and putting together an emergency supply kit.
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