Flood Warning System

Anderson Emergency Management monitors three (3) river gauges during periods of possible flooding.  The first of these gauges is located in Muncie and information is provided by a GOES satellite on a 4 hour basis.  This site provides river level only.

Drainage area of the Muncie gauge is 241.0 square miles and the gauge sits at 917.0 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29).

The second gauge is located in downtown Anderson with information provided by GOES satellite on a 4 hour basis and a telephone connection for dial-up information.  This site provides river level and rainfall information.  This site is also monitored by the Water Department, which takes physical readings of the river and rainfall amounts at 7 a.m. every day, and reported to the National Weather Service – Indianapolis Office.  During periods of high water, special gauge readings may be requested at 1:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 1 a.m.

Drainage area of the Anderson gauge is 406.0 square miles and the gauge sits at 825.02 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29).

The third gauge is located at Raible Avenue and information is provided by GOES satellite on a 4 hour basis.  This site provides river information only.  The gauge sits at 840 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29).

Watches and Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service over the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and NOAA Tone-Alert Weather Radios.

During periods or forecast of severe weather which might produce heavy rains, or prolonged periods of rain, Anderson Emergency Management will monitor the rainfall amounts from the rain gauge located at the Emergency Operations Center.  The amount of rainfall is then compared to models provided by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Water Division, which assist in predicting possible flood events.  The Emergency Operations Center is activated when a flash flood/flood warning is received from the National Weather Service.

Depending on the amount of rainfall and rate of rise, specific actions will be taken and information about possible flooding in Anderson will broadcast over WQME 98.7 FM.  In the event that a flooding event should occur in a short amount of time, notification to areas known to flood by public address systems in emergency vehicles and door to door.

Flood Threat Recognition System

Identification of flood hazards is identified through the following information:

• Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM’s)
• Topographical Maps
• GIS Mapping
• Historical Events

Data Collection, Communications, and Data Analysis

• On-site Weather Station including Rain Gauge
• Satellite Radar
• Internet access for Weather and River Levels
• Physical readings of the river level and rainfall totals are conducted by the Water Department at 7 a.m. every morning, and reported to the National Weather Service – Indianapolis Office (Additional times if requested by the National Weather Service)
• National Weather Service Tone Alert Radio Broadcast
• National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS)

(Monitored by Anderson Police/Fire Dispatch – 24 hours a day)

• Ability to dial-in via dial-up modem to the River Gauges

Maintenance and Testing of System Components

• Maintenance of the River Gauges is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey – Water Division (This is conducted through annual agreements between the City of Anderson and the U.S. Geological Survey – Water Division)

Warning Lead Times

• There is a 12 hour lead time from Muncie Crest to Anderson Crest.

Levee Predictions

The following predictions have been provided by the U S Army Corps of Engineers – Louisville District regarding the levee that extends from Edgewater Park to the Truman Bridge.

Probability of Levee Failure

Within next 10 years – 67% chance of levee failure

Within next 20 years – 94% chance of levee failure

Within next 50 years – 100% chance of levee failure

Probability of Over-topping the Current Levee

10 year flood event – 54% chance of over-topping levee

            (10% chance of occurring in any given year)

25 year flood event – 96% chance of over-topping levee

            (4% chance of occurring in any given year)

100 year flood event – 99.9% chance of over-topping levee

            (1% chance of occurring in any given year)

Base elevation used for determination of above information – 842 feet

Floodfight Operations

Should the need arise for sandbagging operations, sandbags and sand will be staged at various locations in the city known to need sandbagging assistance.  The City will make every attempt to provide assistance with sand and manpower for sandbagging operations.  Request for sandbags can be made by calling 648-6301.  If the City can not provide sand, residents will be responsible for making arrangements and paying for the delivery of sand.  Some local providers of sand are:

     IMI/Irving Materials                    1601 N. Scatterfield Road                 644-8819

     McIntire Sand & Gravel              8700 S. CR 600 West – Daleville     759-8999

     Stanley Stiers Dirt & Gravel       4728 Alexandria Pike                        644-0267

Periodic requests for volunteers will be made by WQME Radio 98.7 FM.  These requests will ask volunteers to report to specific locations needing assistance and sign in at the Command Post.  This is necessary for safety and if a Presidential Disaster Declaration is made, tracking of the volunteer man-hours that the community provided in the flood fight efforts.  It is encouraged that volunteers dress appropriately for filling and stacking sandbags.  Gloves and shovels are recommended also.

Proper Sandbagging Procedures

Sandbags are commonly used to cap levees.  This is a time tested method that has a proven track record.  Sandbag caps are easily adaptable to a variety of conditions and are relatively resistant to wave action and erosion.

 While properly filled and placed sandbags can be a simple, but effective way to reduce or prevent flood water damage, hundreds or thousands will be needed for even a modest project.  Sandbag construction alone does not guarantee a water-tight seal, but is acceptable in most situations.  By utilizing plastic sheeting, a more effective water-tight seal can be achieved.

Filling sandbags is a two person operation.  One should place the empty bag on the ground while the other person loads the sand.  Do not try to hold the bag off the ground while filling, this could cause serious injury.

Fill the sandbag between one-half (1/2) to two-thirds (2/3) full.  Each bag will weigh approximately 40 – 50 pounds.  Bags can be tied or untied, if untied, fold opening under the bag.  Place the opening towards the downstream direction. 

 If possible, dig a trench approximately 6” deep and 18” wide.  Lay plastic sheeting from the trenched out area to the stream side of area to be sandbagged.  Lay sandbags in the trenched area first to secure the plastic sheeting.  Determine how high you will need to sandbag for the desired protection.  Once you’ve determined how high you need to go, multiply that figure by three (3), this will determine how wide the base needs to be.  Stack bags in a pyramid shape, overlapping a portion of each previous row, stamp into place to eliminate voids. 

Before you place the top row, pull the plastic sheeting up over the stream side of the sandbag levee and secure it by placing the top row of sandbags on top of it.  This helps provide a water-tight barrier.

Caution should be utilized when stacking the sandbags.  Individuals stacking the sandbags should wear life jackets in addition to other protective clothing.  At night, individuals should wear reflective clothing and the area should be lighted.

Additionally, monitoring teams should check for problems and determine if there is time to repair any problems or if there is a need to evacuate.  A long blast on an air horn or whistle is used to warn people to evacuate and move to higher grounds.

Evacuation

The first priority is the protection of human life.  While there are many factors that may lead to an evacuation, information used from the National Weather Service forecast; rate of rise, crest and duration, are vital sources of information.  This information can be monitored if individuals have tone alert weather radios.  Additionally, any problems with flood fight efforts or lack of resources could lead to evacuation.

Lead times to possible evacuations could be from a few days to minutes.  Depending on the duration, warning information will be broadcast in the following manner:  newspaper, television and radio will provide updates on a daily basis if the duration is expected over a day or more; television and radio will provide updates as needed when only hours are predicted; radio, public address systems and door-to-door notification will be made if only a limited amount of time is expected.  Remember, local radio information is broadcast over WQME 98.7 FM.

Rainfall Amount Quick Reference Guide

Figures Represent 100 Year Flood Event

(1% Chance of Occurring in Any Given Year)

The above information is a quick guide to determining whether the possibility of a 100 year flood event might occur.  Rainfall amounts over the listed areas have been calculated by the Department of Natural Resources – Water Division.  For more information about additional rainfall/flood events you can click on the link below.

Key Flood Activities