The state will upgrade its streamgage network with cameras, two-way telemetry and virtual gauges through a DEC–USGS partnership, aiming to provide near real-time data for flood warning, drought monitoring and infrastructure planning.
FloodSafe NY will modernize New York’s streamgage network with cameras, backup transmission and two-way telemetry, targeting high-priority locations and data-sparse areas.
The program is a DEC–USGS partnership funded by the state Environmental Bond Act and USGS matching funds to improve flood warnings and water-supply monitoring.
Upgrades will support near real-time river and stream data for emergency response, drought monitoring, water-resource policy and nature-based infrastructure planning.
New York State is upgrading the tools that track river, stream and lake conditions statewide. The program, called FloodSafe NY, is a partnership between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Its goal is to provide communities with more reliable, near real-time water data so they can better anticipate floods, reduce risk to life and property, and make informed infrastructure decisions.
The state will modernize its existing streamgage network — the array of sensors and stations that measure water level and flow. Planned improvements include adding camera technology, backup data transmission, and two-way telemetry to existing streamgages. The upgrades will also place gauges in high-priority locations for flood warning and deploy virtual streamgages where physical monitoring is sparse.
These technical changes are intended to improve the timeliness and accuracy of flood data delivered to communities and decision makers. More reliable data can support earlier warnings and targeted emergency responses.
DEC officials say the upgrades will help produce more accurate flood warnings and reduce property damage, while the governor's office frames the work as part of efforts to make infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather.
Beyond flood forecasting, officials expect the enhanced monitoring to improve drought detection and water-resource management. Near real-time stream and river data can help assess whether available water meets current demand, inform water-supply policy, and support economic planning.
The FloodSafe NY upgrades parallel other recent investments in flood tools and forecasting. For example, NOAA's Flood Inundation Mapping tool has expanded coverage to the entire United States, and other jurisdictions are developing real-time flood forecasting systems that combine tides, river flows and weather forecasts to predict inundation paths.
The article includes an AP photo of severe flooding in Castleton, N.Y., in July 2026, illustrating the kind of events New York aims to better predict and manage through these system improvements.
The system is the first of its kind in the country and combines tides, river flows and weather forecasts to predict where floodwaters might go during severe weather.
Maps that account for rainfall and overwhelmed storm drains show greater risks than traditional flood plain maps.
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File photo of flood waters on Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck, Westchester County, New York. The county is working on a plan to help mitigate the effects of severe weather, including flooding. [ more › ]
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