The National Hydrologic Warning Council (NHWC) recently recognized the City of Fort Worth's dedication to managing the dangers of severe weather. In a move underscoring their commitment to public safety, the NHWC awarded the city's Stormwater Management WARN Team the Operational Excellence Award. This accolade is in response to Fort Worth's advanced hydrologic warning system, designed to protect citizens from the perils of flash flooding, especially prevalent in the region known as "Flash Flood Alley."
Fort Worth has been proactive in safeguarding its growing population with a high water warning system that was initially put in place in 2003. The ALERT flood gauges and flashing signals played a crucial role in warning motorists of the imminent dangers posed by inundated roadways. However, with time, this system began to show signs of age and insufficiency, leading to occasional false activations and missed alerts—a hazard that the city could not afford to overlook. According to the City of Fort Worth, "The network began to experience challenges stemming from aging infrastructure, insufficient maintenance and data transmission issues caused by radio collisions inherent in the original ALERT protocol."
In response to these challenges, Fort Worth initiated a pilot in 2020 to transition to the ALERT2 standard, launching a full-scale upgrade of its warning system. This overhaul was meticulously undertaken, with assessments focusing on each site's hardware, maintenance accessibility, optimal monitoring placement, and resilience during flood events. The upgrade included repositioned flashing signals for better visibility, new system health monitoring features, and additional safeguards such as an automated floating barrier to protect the Fort Worth Zoo and a road gate to deter entry into high-risk flood areas.
The investment in modernizing the hydrologic warning system has paid off, with remarkable improvements in data transmission reliability, which now stands close to perfection at nearly 100%. By essentially eliminating false activations, Fort Worth has made significant strides in enhancing public safety. The city's proactive approach didn't consist only of hardware and software improvements but also shone through the dedication of the City staff.
