Blacksburg, Virginia

The National Weather Service has declared March 15th through 19th
flood safety awareness week. The National Weather Service in
Blacksburg will feature a different educational topic each day
during the awareness week.

Today's topic: advanced hydrologic prediction service... ahps for
short.

What is ahps?

Ahps is the nws's ongoing effort to modernize NWS hydrologic
services. Ahps will provide improved river and flood forecasts and
water information across America to protect life and property and
ensure the nation's economic well being. Ahps graphical products are
available at the NWS
homepage... http://www.NWS.NOAA.Gov/rivers_tab.Php

Who can benefit from ahps?

Everyone who makes decisions based on water... including
farmers... river boat pilots... emergency managers... Municipal water
supply officials... recreationists... and dam operators can benefit
from ahps.

What will ahps do for me?

Because every minute counts... ahps will help emergency managers be
more proactive to "fight" a flood. Ahps provides information for
community leaders and business owners to make better life-saving
decisions about evacuating people or moving property before a flood.
The navigation community will be able to plan with better confidence
and optimize barge and shipping operations... saving millions of
dollars each year. Recreational users will be able to stay out of
harm's way. Ahps... with its suite of enhanced information... provides
the public with more detailed and accurate answers to the following
questions.

How high will the rivers rise?
When will the River Reach its peak?
Where will the flooding occur?
How long will the flood last?
How long will the drought last?
How certain is the forecast?

For more about flood safety... visit www.Floodsafety.NOAA.Gov.