Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

PEMA, in accordance with a memorandum of understanding with the National Weather Service (NWS), operates and maintains a flash flood warning system in flood sensitive areas encompassing some 30 counties across the Commonwealth. This system, known as IFLOWS, relies on radio reporting rain and stream gauges which provide rainfall and stream level data via radio and satellite to counties, the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC), PEMA Area Offices and the National Weather Service offices serving Pennsylvania. The IFLOWS system also provides an alarm feature for local and state/NWS use. Actual rainfall is compared with NWS Flash Flood Guidance (FFG), and alarms are triggered at various preset levels related to the FFG. The IFLOWS computers at the county and all sites on the satellite network alarm with both an audible and a visual signal when rainfall or stream levels reach levels that can lead to flash flooding. PEMA is provided with funds from the NWS/NOAA to operate and maintain the IFLOWS system through an annual Cooperative Agreement. At the present time, these funds are limited to life-cycle replacement or upgrading of existing equipment. No new county sites are being funded by NWS for this program due to funding constraints at the federal level.