Project Overview

Full Title
Real-time Flood Inundation Mapping in the Tar River Basin

Location
Tar River Basin

Cooperating Agencies
See below

Project Chief
Jerad Bales

Period of Project
2002-2004

WWW Resources

NC Flood Maps

USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Flood Inundation Mapping

Introduction

Edgecombe County, N.C., September 19, 1999—Aerial photo of severe flooding engulfing populated areas as a result of Hurricane Floyd. Picture by David Saville/FEMA News Photo.

North Carolina is subject to flooding from land-falling hurricanes, storm surge, intense thunderstorms, and slow-moving frontal systems. The existing flood information and flood forecasting system has served the State of North Carolina and the Nation well. However, as indicated by experiences during Hurricanes Fran and Floyd, as well as other flood events across the State and Nation, there is a growing demand and need for more and better flood information and flood forecasting. In 1999, Governor Hunt and the North Carolina General Assembly tasked the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program to improve the flood information and flood-forecasting system. Following a 2 - year period of program planning and negotiations, a multiagency group was formed to develop the flood-information and flood-forecasting system (see list of cooperative agencies). The primary U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) role in this project is to develop and implement a real-time flood information and inundation mapping component for the flood-information and flood-forecasting system.

Click on map of study area to see USGS gaging station locations