Road Flooding & Rainfall Data Available to the Public Through B-FEWS Online Dashboard

‘Turn Around, Don’t Drown’ is a vital safety message during storms, urging drivers and pedestrians to avoid water-covered roads. Just a few inches of water can be powerful enough to move or strand vehicles. The City of Bryan takes that crucial message a step further by offering free, live flooding information and rainfall data from 20 of the city’s most flood-prone streets. The data is available to the public through the online dashboard of the Bryan Flood Early Warning System, or B-FEWS.

“Floodwater can be the most dangerous thing in the world,” said Sarah Green, stormwater engineer and floodplain manager for the City of Bryan. “We’re a unique community with ten creek basins and many tributaries running through town. We invested in B-FEWS because we want everybody to be safe.”

B-FEWS gauging stations were installed on 20 streets in Bryan between 2021-2023. Staff utilized historic road closure data to pinpoint areas where water can rise and quickly cover roads. Each location features embedded sensors that measure water pressure to trigger one or more ‘Turn Around, Don’t Drown’ flashing beacons, while simultaneously sending data to emergency responders, city staff and the online dashboard.

“It’s not worth your life to drive into water,” said Assistant Public Works Director Paul Kaspar. “It can be hard to gauge how much water is over the road. Is it an inch? Is it six inches? Is it a foot? B-FEWS can immediately alert drivers when the road is impassable.”

The online dashboard displays dynamic data from each gauge and is color-coded: green icons indicate normal conditions, yellow icons show water is rising, orange icons mean water is likely on the road, and red icons confirm the road is flooded and should not be used. Other dashboard features include rainfall accumulations and live radar, with optional map layers displaying watersheds and FEMA flood hazard details.

“We want to share this data with anyone who wants to see it,” Kaspar said. “Residents, visitors and meteorologists are welcome to use the dashboard to see what’s happening during a storm.”

Kaspar and Green say the system is already considered a success. However, safety for everyone relies on drivers and pedestrians following the ‘Turn Around, Don’t Drown’ beacons.

“Depending on the intensity of rain, it could be seconds or minutes before a road floods,” Green said. “If the beacons are flashing, then turn around so you don’t drown. Just because one car makes it through doesn’t mean yours will. We want everyone to make it home safely.”

Besides providing up-to-the-minute information, the system’s historical data can be used to calibrate future floodplain maps and guide decisions about stormwater planning. B-FEWS is also expandable to include other flood-prone city streets as funding becomes available.

“Hopefully one day in the future, instead of using national rainfall and flooding averages, we can use accurate local data and know exactly what is happening in different areas in our city,” Green said. “As Bryan continues to grow, developers will be able to use our historical B-FEWS data to better customize their drainage models and plans.”

View water levels and rainfall data by visiting the B-FEWS dashboard at FloodWatch.bryantx.gov. The system is part of the city’s Floodplain Management Plan, designed to mitigate flood hazard risk to people and property. The City of Bryan currently participates in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System and maintains a Class 7 Rating, based on additional efforts of city staff above minimum requirements. This rating provides a 15% discount on national flood insurance premiums for policyholders in the city.