Weather & Hydrologic Forecasting for 

Water Utility Incident Preparedness and Response

Maintaining awareness of current and projected weather 

and hydrologic conditions is important as your drinking 

water or wastewater utility prepares for a natural disaster. 

The following information sources forecast several types 

of weather events over various time spans, ranging from 

real-time weather (i.e., today’s forecast) to 3 months. 

The forecasts begin with the identification of regional and 

local hazard outlooks across the nation, then become 

event-specific. Some of the resources can be found on 

NOAAWatch.gov, NOAA’s All-Hazard Monitor webpage that 

highlights various forecasting tools and describes weather 

events in detail. To explore the tools below, click on the title 

or image to be linked directly to the product’s website. 

National Weather Hazards All-Hazards

www.weather.gov

Day 1

This map links to state and county level National Weather Service 

(NWS) watches, warnings, advisories and other similar information 

on events including floods, high winds, severe thunderstorms and 

winter storms. This page also serves as the National Weather Service

homepage and many additional information sources are linked 

from this page. Some of these resources are described later in this 

document, but you may also want to search the site to find a new 

product that could benefit your utility.

National Forecast Charts All-Hazards

www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/national_

forecast/natfcst.php

Day 1 - Day 3

The Weather Prediction Center’s National Forecast Charts provide an 

overview of expected weather with an emphasis on certain hazardous 

and significant weather. The one, two and three-day forecasts are 

summaries of event-specific NOAA forecasts and include current 

and projected threats, such as: severe thunderstorms and tornados; 

tropical storms and hurricanes; heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain and 

flash flooding.

FEMA
Weather & Hydrologic Forecasting for Water Utility Incident Preparedness and Response

US Hazards Assessment All-Hazards

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/

expert_assessment/threats.shtml

Day 3 - Day 14

The Hazards Assessment is intended to provide emergency 

managers, planners, forecasters and the public advance notice of 

potential hazards related to climate, weather and hydrological events. 

The first outlook illustrates projected regional and local hazards 

from day 3 to day 7 and the second outlook from day 8 to day 14. 

The map accounts for several weather events, including: severe 

drought, enhanced wildfire risk, flooding, heavy snow and abnormal 

temperatures.

Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts Rainfall

www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/qpf2.

shtml

Day 1 - Day 7

Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPFs) illustrate expected 

precipitation amounts for various time scales. For days 1, 2 and 3, 

forecasts are available in 6-hour increments. Precipitation totals are 

available for one day, two day, three day, five day and seven day 

forecasts, which may be helpful in preparing for excessive rainfall 

accumulation. For days 4-5 and 6-7, 48-hour time period forecasting 

is provided.

Excessive Rainfall Forecasts Rainfall

http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/

excess_rain.shtml

Day 1 - Day 3

This map identifies areas across the nation where rainfall is expected 

to exceed flash flood guidance; provided in one, two and three-day 

forecasts.

River Observations, Forecasts and Experimental 

Long-Range Flood Risk River Gage Flooding

water.weather.gov/ahps/index.php

Day 1 - 3 months

These three maps locate all river gages within the United States, 

highlighting those that are currently flooding (Observations), are 

expected to flood in the next several days (Forecasts) or are at risk 

for flooding in the next three months (Experimental Long-Range Flood 

Risk). All maps have the ability to select a specific gage and view the 

current and projected river levels, and in the case of the Long-Range 

Flood Risk, the probability of exceeding river flood stage levels. 
Weather & Hydrologic Forecasting for Water Utility Incident Preparedness and Response

U.S. Spring Flood Risk Flooding

www.nws.noaa.gov/hic/nho/

Seasonal

This resource, which is only available in the spring, provides a 

nationwide seasonal flood outlook and includes a detailed explanation 

of causes and potential impacts. As flooding can affect much of the 

United States, this resource could be helpful for water utilities across 

the country as they look ahead and plan for flood season.

U.S. Drought Monitor Drought

droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

Day 1 - 3 months

This resource illustrates and categorizes current drought conditions 

across the United States and notes whether those conditions are 

expected to result in short-term (<6 months) or long-term (>6 months) 

drought impacts. The Drought Monitor scale, ranging from D0 to D4, 

is based on the historical frequency of drought for a particular area, 

with D1 conditions expected to occur about every 12 years and D4 

about every 50 years. This map may be useful for utilities developing 

drought preparedness or mitigation plans.

U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook Drought

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

products/expert_assessment/sdo_

summary.html

Day 1 - greater than 3 months

This resource provides a more long-term drought outlook and an 

explanation of how drought conditions are predicted to change over 

the upcoming three months. 

For more information and tools related to drought, visit the U.S. Drought Portal 

(www.drought.gov). Helpful information sources available on this site are the 

quarterly Regional Assessments, outreach documents which outline local 

conditions and drought impacts for general audiences.
Weather & Hydrologic Forecasting for Water Utility Incident Preparedness and Response

Building Relationships with Your Local 

NOAA Weather Forecasting Office

Consult the StormReady webpage to determine your local National Weather 

Service forecasting office (http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/contact.htm). Your 

local office may be able to provide location-specific forecasts and alerts during 

severe weather events. The Warning Coordination Meteorologist at local 

Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) can provide utilities with important weather 

preparedness information. The local Service Coordination Hydrologist (SCH) 

can also be a helpful partner by providing information about NWS hydrologic 

capabilities and providing technical guidance.

StormReady • http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/

One way to foster the relationship with the local WFO is to explore becoming a StormReady utility. 

StormReady is a nationwide community preparedness program that uses a grassroots approach to help 

communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather. In this context, organizations that 

qualify as “communities” may include, but are not limited to: counties, commercial sites and facilities 

such as water utilities. The program encourages organizations to take a new, proactive approach 

to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut 

guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations.

To be officially StormReady, an organization must:

• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center,

• Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public,

• Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally,

• Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars and

• Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and 

holding emergency exercises.

StormReady Supporters are local entities that do not qualify for full StormReady recognition, yet 

promote the principles of the StormReady program into their severe weather safety and awareness 

plans. Entities may be eligible as a StormReady Supporter, based on the bylaws of the state NWS 

StormReady Advisory Board and the endorsement from local emergency management.

While meeting with your local National Weather Service forecasting office, you may wish to 

discuss with them their Emergency Alert System (EAS) procedures. These offices are responsible 

for issuing local non-weather emergency messages, including Civil Danger Warnings, which 

can include water contamination incidents. This mechanism could greatly assist water utilities in 

broadcasting public notifications, such as Boil Water and Do Not Drink advisories.

FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) utilizes EAS and other methods to deliver 

local, regional and national alerts during an emergency. Contact your local or state emergency 

management agency to discuss this platform as a means of broadcasting water use advisories. 

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/NWS_EAS.shtml

http://www.fema.gov/integrated-public-alert-warning-system
Weather & Hydrologic Forecasting for Water Utility Incident Preparedness and Response

Helpful Tools 

USGS WaterAlert • water.usgs.gov/wateralert/

Sign up for WaterAlert and the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) will send you an email or text message alert 

when the river gages that you have identified surpass specified parameters. The basic real-time parameters 

supported by WaterAlert are: surface water (streamflow, gage height, lake/reservoir level, stream level, 

stream velocity); groundwater (water level depth and elevation); water quality (water temperature, specific 

conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, turbidity) and total precipitation. 

USGS WaterNow • water.usgs.gov/waternow/

Another way to determine these real-time parameters is to text or email a unique gage or well site number to 

USGS WaterNow and receive descriptions of current conditions. This method does not send automatic alerts, 

but could be useful for occasional inquiries or for work in the field.

USGS Flood Inundation Mapper • wim.usgs.gov/FIMI/FloodInundationMapper.html

This interactive map allows users to select individual river gages to view observed, current and predicted 

water levels over a ten-day time frame, as well as historical flood levels. A unique capability of this tool is that 

it allows users to adjust an “Estimated Flood Conditions” scale to see clearly on a map the impact of varying 

flood levels on a particular location.

USGS WaterWatch • waterwatch.usgs.gov/

Compare today’s conditions with historical data for streamflow levels, drought, flood and past flow/runoff.

Additional Resources

National Hurricane Center

Tropical Weather/Hurricane • www.nhc.noaa.gov Day 1

During active hurricanes and tropical cyclones, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) page provides predicted 

storm path and timing, precipitation amounts, storm surge estimates, tropical storm wind probabilities and other 

useful information to prepare your utility for the storm.

Storm Surge Prediction 

Storm Surge • www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/psurge/active.php Day 1 - Day 3

Measured in feet above normal tide level, this map illustrates storm surge heights that have a ten percent chan

of being exceeded within the next three days. 

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Storm Prediction Center 

Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes • www.spc.noaa.gov/ Day 1 - Day 8

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) provides forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes 

across the United States. The SPC also produces forecasting tools for heavy rain, snow and fire events. 
Weather & Hydrologic Forecasting for Water Utility Incident Preparedness and Response

Additional Resources (continued)

Weather Prediction Center 

Various Products, All-Hazards • http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/ Day 1 - Day 7

The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) provides forecasts for heavy rain and winter weather events over the 

next seven days. Products also include current and predicted pressure systems and weather fronts. 

Climate Prediction Center 

Various Products, All-Hazards • www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/ Day 6 - 3 months

The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) tools illustrate predicted climate variability in time scales ranging from 

one week to three months. 

Tsunami Warnings 

Tsunami • www.tsunami.gov/ Day 1

This website provides active tsunami warnings for the entire United States.

Earthquakes 

Earthquake • earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/ Past 7 days

This site provides information on earthquakes from the last seven days that had magnitudes greater than 2.5.

Wildfires 

Wildfire • www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/ Day 1 - Day 8

This site provides fire weather outlooks in the form of one day, two day and three-eight day forecasts. For 

one, two and three month forecasts, please see the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlooks. In 

addition, InciWeb.org tracks active fires throughout the nation.

FEMA Situation Reports

public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSFEMA/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDHSFEMA_432

Subscribe to receive daily emails that include information on current incidents and predicted weather hazards 

for the entire United States.

Further information about water utility preparedness 

and response can be found at epa.gov/watersecurity. 

Office of Water (4608-T) EPA 817-F-13-005 September 2013