This session for Data Chiefs and Field Office Chiefs provides an open forum for discussions on increasing operational efficiency with limited staff, modified field trip strategies, homegrown tools and scripts to improve workflows, data driven data collection approaches, and opportunities for automation across our workflows.
Hurricane Helene severely impacted the Asheville Field Area. This presentation looks at impacts from the storm as well as recovery efforts that were undertaken by Asheville Field Office staff as well as assistance from many outside sources. This (hopefully) once in a lifetime storm event led to significant damage and loss of data. Significant effort was put into restoring the network, assigning peak gage heights, and conducting indirect measurements to compute discharge data through the event.
The Innovation Depot will do an in depth design walkthrough on several pieces of new field innovations. This will cover the design stages from initial drawings to a finished tested part. Come learn the trials and tribulations of prototype field testing. Please come with questions and ideas, the Q&A portion if this presentation will be interactive!
Since 2021, the USGS Real-time Flood Impact Map has evolved through the Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) into an increasingly operational capability that delivers actionable flood impact intelligence.
This hands-on workshop will train participants to enter and document flood impacts within the system. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own flood impact scenarios; alternatively, examples may be selected from National Weather Service flood impact statements. These scenarios will be used for guided, step-by-step instruction on data entry, standards, and quality assurance.
The session will include: (1) an overview of the Real-time Flood Impact Map, (2) criteria for defining and selecting flood impacts, (3) hands-on data entry exercises, and (4) best practices for ensuring consistency and accuracy. The map currently includes more than 6,000 documented flood impacts nationwide and continues to expand in operational use.
Participants will leave prepared to independently contribute high-quality flood impact data and support broader adoption across cooperators and stakeholders.
