Susquehanna River Basin Flood Gauges Safe for Now

As National Flood Safety Awareness Week is underway, word is coming from Washington that funding has been found to keep the flood early warning gauges in the Susquehanna River Basin operating.Due to a lack of funding, the gauges were to have been shut off March first, but that deadline had been extended to June first.

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand of New York have announced the National Weather Service will be able to use a portion of $25 million in Hurricane Sandy suplimental funding to pay for the operation of the gauges  through the end of the year.

Officials with NOAA say the cost of operating stream and rain gauges along the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers is about $215,000 a year.

The devices monitor water levels and rainfall amounts and the information is used by NOAA to predict the potential for flooding and issue warning statements when needed.

There are 18 stream gauges and 16 rain gauges in several counties that fall under the Susquehanna River Basin region.