River Sentry: New Tech for a new Flood Code (Part Eight)

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We have now covered detection, false alarms, and trust but the effective escape loop is not complete. For the final solution, we must address sleep and proximity. Proper mitigation requires solutions in varying scenarios including those clear, but adjacent to flood plain boundaries.

Recent Texas “SB1 Camp Safety” legislation reduces risk for youth camps by elevating lodging outside the flood plain. This only reduces risk; it does not eliminate it. On July 4th, significant flooding occurred outside the flood plain. Rio Ancho, an upscale gated subdivision on the San Gabriel experienced significant flooding. Several residents required rescue from their homes. This neighborhood was built outside existing flood plains.

Several miles away, Sandy Creek, a minor tributary in Travis County, tore through a neighborhood resulting in ten deaths. Just north in Williamson County, an unfortunately named “Little Creek” over flowed and swept away a woman in her residence behind the Hope House family shelter. Furthermore, all of this occurred during a 24-hour rain amount of 15-16 inches. The rain record for Williamson County is 36 inches measured in 1910. Flood Plain clearance is not a guarantee of safety. Any topography constrained tributary is a risk to anyone near it.

These incidences share similarities to the Valley of Ahr tragedy. The flood came at night. Prior flood warnings were not effective. The small tributaries caused the deaths. People were caught sleeping. The same recipe. The same outcome.

Texting flood warnings to silent phones during sleeping hours won’t solve it. Distant city sirens won’t wake people up. Centralized systems with human decision makers are too slow. It is not economically feasible to place long range water monitors on every tributary. Cell towers will fail. The internet will go down as will the power grid. What happened before will happen again unless we break the chain with new tools.

Storm resilient fast reacting autonomous flood warning systems that account for sleep are the ONLY solution. Fire code accepts this for commercial lodging and fire danger. Future flood code will require this for water adjacent commercial and residential lodging. River Sentry will introduce the tech and prove its economic feasibility. New legislation can then require use. With the new code and performance requirements, River Sentry will reach its performance goal of POD1/FAR 0/T100/FIRE.

Join us for Part Eight as explore Project RIVER SHIELD, the 100-unit placement on the Guadalupe in Kerr County.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most effective Flood Early Warning system is useless if it does not save lives.  Every function and feature must directly apply toward that outcome.

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