An NWS outlook that is issued to alert the public of potentially heavy rainfall that could send area rivers and streams into flood or aggravate an existing flood. Planning, land acquisition, river channel maintenance, wetlands protection, and other regulations all help modify development on floodplains and watersheds to reduce their susceptibility to flood damage. A graph of elevation of the water surface of a river in flood, plotted as ordinate, against distance, measured in the downstream direction, plotted as abscissa. A flood profile may be drawn to show elevation at a given time, crests during a particular flood, or to show stages of concordant flows. A gage height at which a watercouse overtops its banks and begins to cause damage to any portion of the defined reach.
Flood stage is usually higher than or equal to bankful stage.
A statement issued by the NWS to inform the public of flooding along major streams in which there is not a serious threat to life or property. It may also follow a flood warning to give later information. A release by the NWS to inform the public of flooding along larger streams in which there is a serious threat to life or property. A rise in streamflow to a crest and its subsequent recession caused by precipitation, snowmelt, dam failure, or reservoir releases. Ice which has been flooded by melt water or river water and is heavily loaded by water and wet snow.