IA Flood Center Tool Gives Depth of High Water in Specific Places

WVIK, Quad Cities NPR | By Michelle O'Neill

Published September 26, 2016 at 4:58 PM CDT

A map of Iowa with a large gray area that shows Columbus Junction's watershed.

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The gray area shows Columbus Junction's watershed.

http://ifis.iowafloodcenter.org/ifis/en/app/?snap_view=fmap / Iowa Flood Center

The online system is interactive. This image shows the forecast & a chart with a slider that can be moved to show how deep the water might be at certain locations at specific times.

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Another window shows the forecast & how deep the water might get at certain locations.

http://ifis.iowafloodcenter.org/ifis/app/ / Iowa Flood Center

As residents and businesses along Iowa rivers prepare for flooding, the Iowa Flood Center has a new way for them to find out where the water will go and how high.

Co-founder, Larry Weber, says the center created the Iowa Flood Information System a year after record flooding on the Cedar River in 2008. It puts all the data from numerous sources in one interactive tool on the internet.

Weber says Iowa Flood Center staff continually update the system to make sure it's up-to-date after new flood walls or levies are built.

The Iowa Flood Information System features four categories: inundation maps, flood alerts, stream conditions, and river communities. And a video tutorial is available to help people learn how to use the system.