Commission’s report could mean better flood monitoring for Norwich
NORWICH – The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) recently listed recommendations for improving flood monitoring and forecasting that may lead to Norwich getting a new and much more technologically-advanced river gauge.
“Based on the discussion I’ve had with the SRBC, I’m confident that we will be getting a river gauge,” said City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Wesley Jones.
The SRBC’s recommendations, based on the June 2006 flooding, call for developing “crest-crest relationships for forecasts in New York at Norwich (Chenango River).” According to SRBC’s Director of Communications Susan Obleski, “the new gauge in Norwich would provide real-time data on the level of the streams, and the National Weather Service can make forecasts on that gauge.”
Norwich’s current staff gauge consists of a series of numbers painted on the side of the Rexford Street bridge. The numbers indicate the height of the river at that point. In the past, the flood stage was officially reached when the water hit the 11 foot mark. However, after the June flooding, the flood level was lowered to 9 feet. “By 11 feet, we’re already closing streets. Low-lying areas are flooded at 9 feet, and by 10 and a half feet, East Main Street starts to flood,” Jones said. During the recent flooding events, the water reached a height of over 12 feet.
Although there are electronic forecasting gauges in place in Sherburne and Greene, they did little to predict when the river would crest, or reach its highest point, in the Norwich area. According to Jones, the water had crested in Sherburne and Greene, but was still rising in Norwich. “We believe there is additional water coming into the watershed area through Tompkins Creek, Canasawacta Creek and Ransford Creek,” Jones said. That is why a river gauge in Norwich is so desperately needed, he said.
Apparently, this problem is not a new one. For over 60 years, organizations have been saying that Norwich requires river forecasts for the Chenango River. A 1953 office memorandum from the Weather Bureau, the predecessor to the National Weather Service, addressed to the Eastern Area Hydrologic Engineer, stated, “Unless the New York State people will be satisfied with the forecasts for Greene and Sherburne, you’ll have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a few more dollars to establish Norwich river station.”
Until recently those dollars had not been found, but after flooding events in both 2005 and 2006, flood monitoring has become more of a priority. “Thanks to Senator Libous, $250,000 has been secured for river gauges in the Southern Tier,” said Jones. “We’ve been told the Norwich gauge is on the top of the priority list.”
According to Jones, the new electronic gauge will be an important preparedness tool. “With it, the National Weather Service river forecasting center will be able to start making river forecasts for the Norwich area.” Information on water levels will be automatically reported to the National Weather Service through the new gauge, and the information can be accessed via the Internet. They will also be able to compare the river levels in Sherburne, Norwich and Greene and make gauge-to-gauge forecasts based on what the levels are in other areas. “It will take a while to build up accurate predictions. The complete usefulness of the gauge won’t be realized right away,” said Jones.
According to Jones, the city is hoping the gauge can be put into place in the late spring of early summer.
“Based on the discussion I’ve had with the SRBC, I’m confident that we will be getting a river gauge,” said City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Wesley Jones.
The SRBC’s recommendations, based on the June 2006 flooding, call for developing “crest-crest relationships for forecasts in New York at Norwich (Chenango River).” According to SRBC’s Director of Communications Susan Obleski, “the new gauge in Norwich would provide real-time data on the level of the streams, and the National Weather Service can make forecasts on that gauge.”
Norwich’s current staff gauge consists of a series of numbers painted on the side of the Rexford Street bridge. The numbers indicate the height of the river at that point. In the past, the flood stage was officially reached when the water hit the 11 foot mark. However, after the June flooding, the flood level was lowered to 9 feet. “By 11 feet, we’re already closing streets. Low-lying areas are flooded at 9 feet, and by 10 and a half feet, East Main Street starts to flood,” Jones said. During the recent flooding events, the water reached a height of over 12 feet.
Although there are electronic forecasting gauges in place in Sherburne and Greene, they did little to predict when the river would crest, or reach its highest point, in the Norwich area. According to Jones, the water had crested in Sherburne and Greene, but was still rising in Norwich. “We believe there is additional water coming into the watershed area through Tompkins Creek, Canasawacta Creek and Ransford Creek,” Jones said. That is why a river gauge in Norwich is so desperately needed, he said.
Apparently, this problem is not a new one. For over 60 years, organizations have been saying that Norwich requires river forecasts for the Chenango River. A 1953 office memorandum from the Weather Bureau, the predecessor to the National Weather Service, addressed to the Eastern Area Hydrologic Engineer, stated, “Unless the New York State people will be satisfied with the forecasts for Greene and Sherburne, you’ll have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a few more dollars to establish Norwich river station.”
Until recently those dollars had not been found, but after flooding events in both 2005 and 2006, flood monitoring has become more of a priority. “Thanks to Senator Libous, $250,000 has been secured for river gauges in the Southern Tier,” said Jones. “We’ve been told the Norwich gauge is on the top of the priority list.”
According to Jones, the new electronic gauge will be an important preparedness tool. “With it, the National Weather Service river forecasting center will be able to start making river forecasts for the Norwich area.” Information on water levels will be automatically reported to the National Weather Service through the new gauge, and the information can be accessed via the Internet. They will also be able to compare the river levels in Sherburne, Norwich and Greene and make gauge-to-gauge forecasts based on what the levels are in other areas. “It will take a while to build up accurate predictions. The complete usefulness of the gauge won’t be realized right away,” said Jones.
According to Jones, the city is hoping the gauge can be put into place in the late spring of early summer.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks