Staying Informed: Using Technology and Apps for Flood Alerts

September 4th, 2023 4 minute read

Floods are natural disasters that can strike unexpectedly, causing significant damage to homes, communities, and the environment. Staying informed about potential floods is crucial for protecting lives and property. In this digital age, technology has made it easier than ever to access real-time flood information. Smartphone apps and online resources now play a vital role in keeping individuals and communities safe during flood events. In this article, we will explore the various technology-driven tools available for flood alerts and how they can help you stay informed and prepared.

Flood Alert Apps

One of the most convenient ways to stay informed about floods is through smartphone apps. Several apps are specifically designed to provide real-time flood alerts and updates. These apps use data from weather agencies, river gauges, and other sources to deliver timely information to users. Some popular flood alert apps include:

FEMA App

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers an app that provides alerts for various natural disasters, including floods. Users can access weather updates, emergency kit checklists, and safety tips.

Weather Channel App

The Weather Channel app offers personalized alerts for severe weather events, including floods. It provides detailed weather forecasts, interactive maps, and video updates.

NOAA Weather App

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offers an app that delivers weather alerts and warnings, including flood notifications. Users can customize their settings to receive alerts for specific locations.

Online Resources

In addition to smartphone apps, there are several online resources that offer valuable flood information. These websites and platforms provide a wealth of data, maps, and educational materials to help individuals and communities prepare for floods:

NOAA's National Weather Service

The NOAA website provides real-time weather updates, flood forecasts, and river gauge data. It also offers educational resources on flood safety and preparedness.

USGS Water Data

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides an extensive database of water data, including river and stream gauges. Users can access real-time water levels to monitor flood conditions.

Floodsmart.gov

Floodsmart.gov, managed by FEMA, offers resources on flood insurance, flood risk assessment, and floodplain mapping. It also provides tools to estimate flood insurance costs.

Modern Flood Barriers: A Home Floodproofing Solution

While staying informed about flood alerts is essential, taking proactive measures to protect your home is equally important. Modern flood barriers have emerged as one of the most efficient and effective methods of home floodproofing. These innovative barriers are designed to create a watertight seal around your property, preventing floodwaters from entering your home. Some benefits of modern flood barriers include:

- Quick Installation - Many flood barriers can be installed quickly, providing immediate protection when flood alerts are issued.

- Customization - These barriers can be tailored to fit the specific layout and requirements of your property.

- Reusable - Most modern flood barriers are reusable, making them a cost-effective long-term solution.

- Minimal Maintenance - Once installed, flood barriers typically require minimal maintenance, reducing the burden on homeowners.

Conclusion

In an era dominated by technology, staying informed about flood alerts has never been easier. Smartphone apps and online resources offer real-time updates and valuable information to help individuals and communities prepare for floods. These tools empower us to make informed decisions during times of crisis and ensure our safety.

Additionally, modern flood barriers have emerged as a highly efficient way to protect homes from flooding. They provide an added layer of security, allowing homeowners to face flood threats with confidence. By combining the power of technology-driven flood alerts with proactive floodproofing measures like modern barriers, we can reduce the risks and impacts of flooding on our homes and communities, ultimately creating safer, more resilient environments for all.

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Good quality material

A highly professional and efficient company to deal with that kept its promises as far as fulfilling the order and delivery time. Materials arrived, exceptionally well, wrapped and protected with easy to follow instructions. Luckily, I have a good handyman who obtained the correct drill by rental, and made installation seem damn easy. I could not have done this on my own. We were impressed by the quality of the product although the parts seem a little heavier than we anticipated. We expect they will be excellent barriers high water. We also have another installation on a door between the garage and the foyer inside the house. We would strongly recommend this company so far.

Love these gates for peace of mind

I live near a creek that could potentially flood in central Florida. It gives me the greatest peace of mind to put these gates up and feel confident that I am protected. Right now, hurricane rains and flooding potential is high and I am feeling safe in my home.

Superior designed product

Very well thought out product with fairly easy installation. Definitely a ciut above the rest. Thankfully have not needed it yet but ready to go. So far on a test run has held air pressure for 5 days. So works as designed and for Hurricane use more than acceptable.

A Christmas Miracle

This thing is excellent and the company has the best support. Last year Poseidon thought it would be funny to flood our home in the NY hudson valley with a 5.5' tidal surge on Christmas eve. Fortunately I had been following the forecast and had purchased the Dam Easy barrier a month prior.

I had installed the barrier the night before in preparation and awoke to find 18"+ of water up the side of my house and the barrier. Over the next 2-3 hours the the Dam Easy barrier worked perfectly in keeping the water from our basement and saved our Christmas. A true miracle!

As the tide subsided and our Dam Easy-less neighbors were pumped dry, a member of our local fire department asked if we needed our basement pumped out. I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me when I told him we were fine (likely thinking we were hiding a meth lab or something).

I now keep my barrier ready with spare seals on hand just in case we experience a similar surge. Top marks Dam Easy!

Flood protection

I have the Dameasy flood barriers for the past 5 years. I have put them up on several occasions, but fortunately we did not need them. On 13/11/23 for Storm Debi they went up again and on this occasion they definitely proved their worth. Without the Dameasy flood barriers, we would have been flooded. Best money ever spent.

Quick Delivery / Quick Install

I have installed the new seal on my Barrier. It was extremely easy to install. I then stored the product "ready to go" and hope to never need it!! The barrier, btw, worked amazingly well - held back 2 feet of water...

I bought more ( :

After these barriers proved effective in my single door openings, I bought more and connector poles to cover a 100" opening. We also raised the clothes dryer vents to 48" and filled the old openings with concrete.
Now, my 1950 Brick Bunker is protected within minutes, and my friends say they're stylish, too. Thank you DamEasy Flood Barriers. We keep them under our beds.

Sleeping Better during Hurricane Season

I live in North East Florida on the Intracoastal Waterway. We flooded 5 years ago during Hurricane Irma. Every year during mid-summer we start watching the Hurricane Tracker app to monitor potential storms. We typically don’t schedule extended vacations during September and October during peak hurricane season. In 2022, we had two potential flood events where water rose above our seawall. While thankfully we did not flood, it was a very stressful situation. We needed a solution to eliminate / minimize flooding.

In November, I spent countless hours online searching for solutions to prevent flooding. I reviewed numerous publications on how to flood proof your home, including FEMA’s “Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting” and, countless online reviews for all types of products.

My considerations for purchase were: 1) component quality of product, 2) potential effectiveness, 3) ease of use, 4) top rated reviews, and 5) cost.

Based on these criteria I selected DamEasy flood barriers. I used the online calculator to determine the number of barriers and extension poles required. For our rear doors I emailed DamEasy photos to get an expert recommendation since I had raised stucco foam trim around some doors and was concerned about the structural integrity. To my surprise I received a phone call the next day from Chris at DamEasy. He said they would be in my area and would it be okay if they come over the house and personally view exactly what was needed.

During Chris’s visit I purchased flood barriers and extension poles to protect all 6 openings on my house. I needed some additional cement / stucco work to further protect my house and install the extension pole base sockets. Chris recommended a local contractor that was working with DamEasy in North Florida. I hired them and their work product was amazing and it was done at a reasonable price.

In my opinion DamEasy has a high quality product with great customer service. While we still get uneasy when a new tropical disturbance is announced, we feel more at ease with the DamEasy flood barriers. Hopefully we will never have to use the flood barriers, but we know we have an added level of protection – which is simply DamEasy.

Thank God for Damn Easy!

Our home in St Augustine flooded twice last year. And while insurance covered the majority of repairs, after dealing with all the bs and nearly a full year of contractors, dry wall guys and big box stores, I was looking for some kind of flood mitigation system that wasn't too expensive or ridiculous to install. After reviewing several different options – including what amounted to a giant rubber donut placed around my house – I was really confused. Everything seemed so expensive and crazy to install that I basically gave up until I noticed a neighbor had purchased a system from a company called DamnEasy Flood Barriers. Interested, I set up an appointment with their sales guy and was pleasantly surprised to see their system was not only super easy to install, but also reasonably priced. As a guy who flunked wood shop – twice – I was hesitant at first because this kind of thing is out of my lease, but when I saw and felt the DamnEasy product I was convinced it could work. At 44 pounds – and with adjustable wings – the DamnEasy barrier fit snuggly in my doorway within a matter of minutes. Even my wife was surprised how easy it was for her to install the system. We even showed a neighbor how to do it in case we weren’t in town when a flood hit, and he had the whole system – 4 door barriers and a chain of barriers for our garage – up in less than 15 minutes. And while there was about 4 feet on the side of my house where we needed to install a small concrete wall, the DamnEasy guys even helped with that, utilizing their local contractor to get the job done in a day or two. And while it sounds a little crazy, I’m actually anticipating our next flood so I can see how well the system works (and I have every reason to believe it will). Even betterl, the DamnEasy system costs me less than half of the other systems I was investigating, none of which went up as easily or seemed seems as sturdy. No special tools or crazy retrofitting – the system was ready to install the moment it was delivered. Not sure how much easier it can get but would recommend DamnEasy to anyone looking to avoid the hassles of even a minor flood (which caused us over $150k in damage.)

Saved twice in 2022

St Augustine, Florida. In October and also November 2022 My home was protected by Dam Easy barriers. My tenant installed them in minutes, to hold back what he described as 11-15 inches of water. 100% effective.
See the picture of my home after Hurricaine Nicole. This was taken by a neighbor directly across the street. I did not have coverage for the french doors as shown, but the main part of the house was dry.

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