Flood Reporting at Your Fingertips

A new one-of-a-kind tool is available to report flooding. The Flood Incident Reporting App is an easy-to-use application which allows landowners to submit current or recent flood data in their area. The information collected provides the Trinity River Authority and the National Weather Service with near real-time data to better evaluate flooding trends, confirm or refine flood categories and establish flood-risk reduction efforts.

BACKGROUND

TRA, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are working together to better understand and address flooding issues in the mid-basin of the Trinity River. The area has experienced flooding in recent years due to several contributing factors including heavier than normal rainfall.

The USACE recently conducted a study to evaluate recent flood events in the area. More specifically, they looked at the impacts caused by USACE reservoirs in the basin. There are eight USACE multipurpose reservoirs within the basin with flood control as a main purpose. An additional nine reservoirs in the basin were built by other entities with the purpose of water supply and contain no flood storage, leaving 76 percent of the basin without the benefit of the flood protection offered by multipurpose reservoirs. Water supply reservoirs cannot prevent or lessen flood flows because they do not contain flood storage capacity. Simply put, for the safety of the dam and everyone downstream, once water supply reservoirs are full, the rain that flows into them must flow out. From 2015 to 2020, during a particularly strong El Nino cycle, the Trinity basin experienced several periods of significant rainfall that directly led to flooding throughout the Trinity basin.

FLOOD INCIDENT REPORTING APP FEATURES

There are three main components of the app: a map, a list of submitted reports and a section to submit a new report.

The map contains a legend which displays the various types of flooding events that can be reported including flooding of a structure, a field, a roadway or other. The submitted reports are reflected on the map with a pin drop. The map zooms in and out with ease, but if you find yourself lost, simply click the home button to bring the Trinity River basin back into view.

If you click on a previously submitted report, you will see the location on the map as well as a summary regarding the flooding event including the type of flooding, name of person who submitted the report, what was observed, date, any additional comment provided and the location.

HOW TO REPORT FLOODING

Using the new tool is simple. Scan the QR code provided below with the camera on your smartphone or log on through your desktop. To begin a new report, click the submit a report button in the bottom right corner. You do not have to find your location on the map to submit a report.

From there you will see a form to fill out providing specific details related to the flood event you encountered. Several items are required to complete the form, including the incident, name, phone number, field observation and location. The date and time will auto populate. Be sure to update that information if the event is not happening currently. The flooding event in which you are reporting needs to be current or recent. Ideally, within the season and certainly within the year. Additional comments, your email address, an address (if applicable) of the incident and a photo are optional items. Photos are extremely helpful in the assessment of the flooding event. If you encounter flooding, you are encouraged to snap a photo to submit along with your report as long as you can do it safely.

This tool will provide an improved understanding of the flooding landowners are experiencing in the middle-Trinity which will be used by the National Weather Service to evaluate their flood alert levels for the area.  The information will also assist with the planning and implementation of current and future flood-risk reduction efforts. Questions regarding the app, can be directed to Heather Firn at 817-493-5209.

Check out our video for more details on navigating the app and submitting a report. https://youtu.be/5DJin3UBzNs