PROGRAMS & PLANS--Flood emergency coordination In Reply Refer To: February 5, 1980 WGS-Mail Stop 415 SURFACE WATER BRANCH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 80.02 Subject: PROGRAMS & PLANS--Flood emergency coordination The Geological Survey received an inordinate amount of attention in Mississippi newspapers for its role during the Easter Flood of 1979 on the Pearl River. The source for the bad publicity was a GAO report, "Improvements Being Made in Flood Fighting Capabilities in the Jackson, Mississippi, Area," dated December 18, 1979. One of the criticisms in the GAO report concerned the lack of formalized coordination among Federal agencies, the Geological Survey and National Weather Service in particular, prior to and during the flood of April 1979 on the Pearl River at Jackson. A most serious criticism dealt with conflicting predictions of the expected flood crest by the NWS, GS, and the USCE, and the claim that each agency based its crest estimate on a different rating. In addition, the report cited instances of incomplete, inaccurate, and untimely data. For the most part, these deficiencies are traced to poor coordination and communication among the Federal agencies and with State and local officials. In retrospect, there is little doubt that we could have been better prepared. The criticism leveled at GS and publicized by the press is, in our opinion, unwarranted. It is unfortunate that much exceptional work during the emergency by the GS District office in Jackson is overshadowed by the reaction of the press to the report. Nevertheless, there is a lesson to be learned. To benefit from the Mississippi experience, each District is instructed to take the following measures: 1. Review, and modify as necessary, the written District flood plan to make certain that adequate provisions have been made for coordination and communication during flood emergencies with FEMA, NWS, USCE, and other Federal, State, and local agencies as appropriate. It will be advisable to document other agency individuals to contact and to identify gages and points of mutual interest and concern. 2. Make certain that the flood plan calls for a complete log of flood information requests and the responses. 3. Review the ratings furnished to the NWS Flood Forecast Centers, with special emphasis on those that we extended for NWS during a 1974-76 project. A list of the 1974-76 NWS rating extension sites is enclosed. If there has been a significant change in channel or flood plain, or if additional data indicates a rating change, notify your Regional Hydrologist, with a copy to SWB, and indicate your recommendation for updating the rating. Harry H. Barnes, Jr. Chief, Surface Water Branch Enclosure This memorandum supersedes no existing memorandum. WRD Distribution: A, B, FO-L LIST OF GAGING STATIONS WITH HIGH-WATER RATING EXTENSIONS SUPPLIED TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Date State Furnished Gaging Station Alaska 5-16-74 Chena River at Fairbanks " Chena River near Two Rivers " Litte Chena River near Fairbanks " Tanana River at Nenana " Tanana River near Tanacross " Yukon River at Eagle 7-10-74 Koyukuk River at Hughes " Kuskokwim River at Crooked Creek " Kuskokwim River at McGrath " Yukon River at Ruby Arizona 9-26-74 Little Colorado River at Holbrook " Little Colorado River at Woodruff " Verde River below Tangle Creek, above Horseshoe Dam California 7-1-74 Eel River at Fort Seward " Eel River at Scotia " Klamath River near Klamath " Los Angeles River at Downy " Sacramento River at Sacramento " San Joaquin River near Newman " San Joaquin River ner Vernalis " Santa Clara River at Los Angeles-Ventura County line. Colorado 10-4-74 Animas River at Durango " Colorado River near Cameo " Colorado River near Dotsero " Colorado River below Glenwood Springs " Dolores River at Doloris " Eagle River below Gypsum " Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs " South Platte River at Denver Connecticut 9-23-74 Connecticut River at Bodkin Rock near Middletown " Farmington River at Tariffville Florida 5-2-74 Suwanee River at Ellaville Georgia 7-12-74 Chattahoochee River at West Point " Flint River at Newton " Ocmulgee River at Macon " Ogeechee River near Eden Idaho 6-24-74 Boise River at Boise " Coer d'Alene River at Enaville " St. Joe River at Calder Date State Furnished Gaging Station Iowa 12-18-74 Mississippi River at Keokuk " Missouri River at Omaha, Neb. " Nishnabotna River above Hamburg Kansas 11-7-74 Arkansas River at Arkansas City " Arkansas River at Hutchinson " Cow Creek near Lyons " Kansas River at DeSoto " Kansas River at Topeka " Smokey Hill River at Enterprise " Solomon River at Niles 3-24-76 Arkansas River at Garden City " Kansas River at Fort Riley " Kansas River at Wamego Louisiana 6-21-74 Amite River at Denham Springs " Red River at Alexandria 1-6-76 Pearl River near Bogalusa Maryland 7-5-74 Potomac River near Washington, D.C. 11-8-74 Potomac River at Point of Rocks Massachusetts 7-30-74 Connecticut River at Montague City " Merrimack River below Concord River, at Lowell " (See New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) Michigan 5-28-74 Kalamazoo River at Battle Creek Minnesota 8-7-74 Minnesota River at Mankato " Mississippi River at St. Paul Mississippi 10-29-74 Pascagoula River at Merrill " Pearl River at Columbia " Pearl River at Jackson " Pearl River at Monticello " Tallahalla Creek at Laurel " Yazoo River at Greenwood Missouri 8-2-74 Blue River near Kansas City " Little Platte River at Smithville " Mississippi River at Chester, Ill. " Mississippi River at St. Louis " Missouri River at Kansas City Nebraska 9-9-74 Platte River near South Bend New Hampshire 7-30-74 Connecticut River at North Walpole " Merrimack River at Franklin Junction " Pemigewasset River at Plymouth Date State Furnished Gaging Station New Jersey 9-25-74 Delaware River at Trenton " Raritan River at Bound Brook New York 8-22-74 Chemung River at Chemung " Hudson River at Green Island " Mohawk River at Cohoes North Carolina 8-29-74 French Broad River at Asheville " French Broad River at Blantyre North Dakota 6-19-74 Souris River above Minot 3-24-76 Heart River near Mandon " Souris River near Sherwood Oklahoma 11-22-74 Chickaskia River at Blackwell " Cimarron River at Perkins " Neosho River at Commerce " Red River near Arthur City, Tex. Pennsylvania 3-22-74 Allegheny River at Franklin " Allegheny River at Kittanning " Allegheny River at Natrona " Allegheny River at Parker " Monongahela River at Braddock " Monongahela River at Charlerol " Monongahela River at Greensboro " Schuylkill River at Pottstown " Susquehanna River at Sunbury " Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre " West Branch Susquehanna River at Williamsport " Youghiogheny River at Connellsville Rhode Island 7-30-74 Blackstone River at Woonsocket South Carolina 10-1-74 Congaree River at Columbia South Dakota 1-22-76 Rapid Creek at Rapid Creek Texas 6-18-74 Canadian River near Canadian " East Fork Trinity River near Crandall " Guadalupe River at Cuero 6-18-74 Medina River at San Antonio " Navasota River near Bryan " Red River near DeKalb " San Antonio River near Falls City " Trinity River near Crookett " Trinity River near Dakwood " Trinity River at Trinidad " West Fork Trinity River at Grand Prairie Date State Furnished Gaging Station Vermont 12-10-75 Connecticut River at Wells River " Connecticut River at White River Junction Virginia 9-24-74 James River at Cartersville 11-1-74 Meherrin River near Lawrenceville 12-11-74 Roanoke River at Roanoke Washington 8-9-74 Naches River near Naches " Sauk River near Sauk " Skagit River near Concrete " Skagit River near Mount Vernon " Snohomish River at Snohomish " Yakima River at Cle Elum " Yakima River near Parker Wisconsin 1-22-76 Chippawa River at Durand