Adopt a Gauge

North Carolina's network of more than 500 river, stream and coastal gauges provides data that empowers flood warning for local communities and the public.

River gauge used to provide timely and accurate water level information to government officials.

Data from these gauges drives the Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network (FIMAN) which is designed reduce the loss of life and flood related property damage by providing timely, detailed, and accurate flood inundation information to government officials and the public.  For FIMAN to provide timely and accurate information, data from these gauges must be obtained 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no interruptions.

Gauge maintenance is critical to being able to provide continuous data to community officials and the public.  North Carolina Emergency Management has created the Adopt a Gauge (AaG) program to partner with local officials to insure that gauges are operational and to notify NCEM when a gauge needs repair.

Submit a gauge report

Example of FIMAN map.

The Adopt a Gauge program allows a county or local government, nonprofit or civic group to adopt gauges in their community and serve as eyes on the ground for those gauges.  Adopt A Gauge partners regularly check the status of their assigned gauge sites,  reporting problems (debris buildup, damage, theft) or simply reporting that the gauge is in good condition.  While we have online monitoring tools, having eyes in the field can aid in assessing any issues with a gauge.

Visual checks of the gauge site:

  • Check to see if there has been any damage or vandalism to the external parts of the gauge (solar panel, antenna, conduits and cabling). Photos can be provided for each site for reference, if needed. Photos are also available in FIMAN for many sites.
  • See that the gauge is still an upright position i.e. has not been hit by a vehicle.
  • Remove any brush, vines and trees that are within 10 feet of the gauge

If the gauge is installed on a bridge:

  • Check to see that there is a clear line of site to the water
  • Check for debris dams that may have formed following rain and flooding events

At times we may call you to ask you go to a gauge site to inspect it based on issues we are observing online.

For additional information about the program submit your questions or information request to NCEM at aag@ncdps.gov.

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