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DESCRIPTION: Flood warning systems provides a community with the earliest warning about whether a flood should be expected, when it will occur, and how severe it will be. The first element of a flood warning program is the operation of a system that tells the community that a flood is on its way. The notice that a flood is coming can be provided by the National Weather Service, by a state or regional agency, by monitoring local rain and river gages, and/or in other ways. The next element is the dissemination of the flood warning to residents of the community. Various methods can be used, such as sirens, telephone calls, text messages, or the Emergency Alert System. Flood warning systems need to be paired with an outreach program and an adopted flood response plan so all members of the community know what to do when they receive the alerts.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:
SHORELINE LOCATION: Asset Specific
MEASURES COMPATIBILITY:
LIKELY IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITY:
Flood
Seismic
San Francisco Planning Department, BCDC
All
All
CONSIDERATIONS:
ADVANTAGES:
DISADVANTAGES:
Flood warning systems should be designed to reach all constituents, including those with limited access to technology. Multiple languages should be supported. As with all communities, outreach is required to ensure environmental justice communities know how to respond when they receive a warning message
Relatively low cost to implement.
Efficiently pairs with other flood reduction measures that may require warning to implement (e.g., dry floodproofing) or may not be comprehensive.
Does not inherently reduce property damage or flood risks.
Requires active participation by individuals.
CASE STUDIES:
AlertSF
National Weather Service
Federal Emergency Management Agency
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONSIDERATIONS
Flood warning systems should be designed to reach all constituents, including those with limited access to technology. Multiple languages should be supported. As with all communities, outreach is required to ensure environmental justice communities know how to respond when they receive a warning message.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSIDERATIONS
N/A
UTILITY AND MOBILITY CONSIDERATIONS
See evacuations sheet for related mobility considerations. Utility operators should receive the same warnings as community members.
INSTALLATION AND CONSTRUCTABILITY CONSIDERATIONS
N/A
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS
While maintenance is relatively low, monitoring sites do require periodic site visits to check for potential problems, and to verify the continued accuracy of the equipment.
Other Types of Emergency Preparedness:
Click the image and link below to explore other types of Emergency Preparedness measures.
DESCRIPTION: Flood warning systems provides a community with the earliest warning about whether a flood should be expected, when it will occur, and how severe it will be. The first element of a flood warning program is the operation of a system that tells the community that a flood is on its way. The notice that a flood is coming can be provided by the National Weather Service, by a state or regional agency, by monitoring local rain and river gages, and/or in other ways. The next element is the dissemination of the flood warning to residents of the community. Various methods can be used, such as sirens, telephone calls, text messages, or the Emergency Alert System. Flood warning systems need to be paired with an outreach program and an adopted flood response plan so all members of the community know what to do when they receive the alerts.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:
SHORELINE LOCATION: Asset Specific
MEASURES COMPATIBILITY:
LIKELY IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITY:
Flood
Seismic
San Francisco Planning Department, BCDC
All
All
CONSIDERATIONS:
ADVANTAGES:
DISADVANTAGES:
Flood warning systems should be designed to reach all constituents, including those with limited access to technology. Multiple languages should be supported. As with all communities, outreach is required to ensure environmental justice communities know how to respond when they receive a warning message
Relatively low cost to implement.
Efficiently pairs with other flood reduction measures that may require warning to implement (e.g., dry floodproofing) or may not be comprehensive.
Does not inherently reduce property damage or flood risks.
Requires active participation by individuals.
CASE STUDIES:
AlertSF
National Weather Service
Federal Emergency Management Agency
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONSIDERATIONS
Flood warning systems should be designed to reach all constituents, including those with limited access to technology. Multiple languages should be supported. As with all communities, outreach is required to ensure environmental justice communities know how to respond when they receive a warning message.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSIDERATIONS
N/A
UTILITY AND MOBILITY CONSIDERATIONS
See evacuations sheet for related mobility considerations. Utility operators should receive the same warnings as community members.
INSTALLATION AND CONSTRUCTABILITY CONSIDERATIONS
N/A
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS
While maintenance is relatively low, monitoring sites do require periodic site visits to check for potential problems, and to verify the continued accuracy of the equipment.
Other Types of Emergency Preparedness:
Click the image and link below to explore other types of Emergency Preparedness measures.
Thank you for learning about ways to strengthen the waterfront through the Measures Explorer! Please share your feedback on the Forecast Warning Systems measure.
Would you like to see it prioritized as a potential solution along San Francisco's waterfront? Do you have any concerns or input you would like to share about this measure?
Warning system © Berkut_34 / iStock
