Funding cuts threaten local flood gauges
NORWICH – River gauges that monitor the risk of flooding in flood-prone areas across the county may be shut down in March as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) pulls back funding to keep them operational through 2013.
The NOAA has identified dozens of river gauges in the Susquehanna River Basin that may not receive money this year – this despite $25 million slated for hurricane forecasting as part of the Sandy Supplemental Bill. Funding cuts would affect a total 18 stream gauges and 16 rain gauges in and around the Susquehanna River Basin, including six in the Chenango, Susquehanna and Unadilla rivers that span Chenango County.
State officials are urging the NOAA to work collaboratively with the Susquehanna River Basin and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to resolve the issue. The Susquehanna River Basin estimates the cost to keep all 34 gauges live for the year would near $215,000 – money well worth spending to preserve potentially life-saving measures, according to county officials.
“What really concerns me is we use these gauges almost every time we have a rain event. That’s our forecasting point,” explained Director of Chenango County Emergency Management Matt Beckwith. “We have certainly seen our share of flooding events in the last five years. It makes absolutely no sense to take money from it while the governor at the same time is talking about storm safety.”
Most recently, river gauges were critical during the devastating flooding caused by Tropical Storm Lee in September of 2011, but they are constantly monitored during every rain storm and every spring when snow melts, said Beckwith. Collected data is forwarded to the National Weather Service for flooding predictions, and used to warn citizens to evacuate if the need arises.
“Without those gauges, we have no way of knowing when to warn people to get out of the area,” he added.
In a prepared statement, New York Senator Charles Schumer observed that while property damage caused by Lee in 2011 was catastrophic, not a single life was lost thanks in part to data made available through the stream gauges.
“These rivers have flooded before and caused massive property loss and casualties that far exceed the minimal costs to keep these gauges online,” he said. “The federal government cannot allow stream gauges and the safety of New Yorkers living along the Susquehanna River Basin to float away due to lack of funding.”
City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Jones tracks local stream gauges – two that are in Canasawacta Creek, which runs through the city on the west side. He said the gauges serve a two-fold purpose: one to measure where water levels stand and two, to predict how quickly those levels will rise and by how much.
While the Canasawacta Creek gauges are not at threat of being shut off because they are owned and maintained by the city, he explained the value in having them for forecasting and flooding predictions. “Anybody who has been here the last few years and has been impacted in any way by flooding certainly understands,” he said.
Threats of funding cuts to keep river gauges operational is an all too familiar occurrence for emergency management officials who have vied for money to keep them up and running each of the last three years. But this year is different, noted Beckwith, as it has become more difficult every year. “There’s always been a threat, but it would continually be funded. More often times than not, there was still an indication that it would be funded by this time. It’s only been in the last couple years that it has not even been included in the budget.”
Added Jones, “There’s a lot of things the federal government can cut; this certainly shouldn’t be one.”
The NOAA has identified dozens of river gauges in the Susquehanna River Basin that may not receive money this year – this despite $25 million slated for hurricane forecasting as part of the Sandy Supplemental Bill. Funding cuts would affect a total 18 stream gauges and 16 rain gauges in and around the Susquehanna River Basin, including six in the Chenango, Susquehanna and Unadilla rivers that span Chenango County.
State officials are urging the NOAA to work collaboratively with the Susquehanna River Basin and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to resolve the issue. The Susquehanna River Basin estimates the cost to keep all 34 gauges live for the year would near $215,000 – money well worth spending to preserve potentially life-saving measures, according to county officials.
“What really concerns me is we use these gauges almost every time we have a rain event. That’s our forecasting point,” explained Director of Chenango County Emergency Management Matt Beckwith. “We have certainly seen our share of flooding events in the last five years. It makes absolutely no sense to take money from it while the governor at the same time is talking about storm safety.”
Most recently, river gauges were critical during the devastating flooding caused by Tropical Storm Lee in September of 2011, but they are constantly monitored during every rain storm and every spring when snow melts, said Beckwith. Collected data is forwarded to the National Weather Service for flooding predictions, and used to warn citizens to evacuate if the need arises.
“Without those gauges, we have no way of knowing when to warn people to get out of the area,” he added.
In a prepared statement, New York Senator Charles Schumer observed that while property damage caused by Lee in 2011 was catastrophic, not a single life was lost thanks in part to data made available through the stream gauges.
“These rivers have flooded before and caused massive property loss and casualties that far exceed the minimal costs to keep these gauges online,” he said. “The federal government cannot allow stream gauges and the safety of New Yorkers living along the Susquehanna River Basin to float away due to lack of funding.”
City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Jones tracks local stream gauges – two that are in Canasawacta Creek, which runs through the city on the west side. He said the gauges serve a two-fold purpose: one to measure where water levels stand and two, to predict how quickly those levels will rise and by how much.
While the Canasawacta Creek gauges are not at threat of being shut off because they are owned and maintained by the city, he explained the value in having them for forecasting and flooding predictions. “Anybody who has been here the last few years and has been impacted in any way by flooding certainly understands,” he said.
Threats of funding cuts to keep river gauges operational is an all too familiar occurrence for emergency management officials who have vied for money to keep them up and running each of the last three years. But this year is different, noted Beckwith, as it has become more difficult every year. “There’s always been a threat, but it would continually be funded. More often times than not, there was still an indication that it would be funded by this time. It’s only been in the last couple years that it has not even been included in the budget.”
Added Jones, “There’s a lot of things the federal government can cut; this certainly shouldn’t be one.”
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