Flood Alert Hotline
As a result of meetings with Federal, State and County Officials, Southampton Township has created this hot line page to provide residents with up-to-the-minute information during storm events in order to keep residents posted on conditions along both branches of the Rancocas Creek in the township (North Branch through Ewansville; South Branch through Vincentown).
1. The website of the National Weather Service, located at Mount Holly, is the primary source of general information on rainfall totals affecting conditions along the Rancocas. Once there is suspicion of a building storm, you should consider going to the next level of forecasting.
National Weather Service at Mt. Holly (www.erh.noaa.gov/phi)
2. The website of the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center is a bit more complex, but very informative if one wishes to monitor conditions along the Rancocas. Flood stage information is available on the site, as well as historic data on the floods of July, 2004 and April, 2007 for comparison purposes. Because there are multiple factors affecting the rain accumulation, the site provides “multisensor” observations to predict flooding. Those who live in areas flooded in 2004 and 2007 should familiarize themselves with the data and maps on this site. For close-ups of specific areas on the large maps, simply click on the appropriate green dot on the map.
Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center (MARFC) (www.erh.noaa.gov/marfc)
This is the location for monitoring the precipitation totals during a rain storm. Click on the Precipitation tab; then the Miltisensor tab; then choose “Standard”; and finally, the 24 hour totals. Maps will help you locate the Rancocas Watershed. (A complex process, but easily learned. The site has a brief tutorial at the beginning).
3. Here is a quick link to the hourly statistics for those who would like to monitor the information in the event of a true flood emergency. Click on the date and time and you will be taken to a map.
24-hour Precipitation totals (When you click on, wait for JAVA to upload)
(www.erh.noaa.gov/marfc/Maps/xmrg/index_java.html)
This is a shortcut to the Precipitation Total page of the Mid Atlantic weather site. This will help pinpoint accumulation, as the storm dumps water in varying levels at different locations during the same storm. The maps at this site will show exactly how much rain is accumulating in the Rancocas Watershed in our area.
4. Below you will find a link to a special page on the Weather Service site created to provide information to Emergency Managers in local communities. This will give you access to current information that is being fed to those responsible for serving the public in a storm emergency.
Information for Emergency Managers (www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/emerman.htm)
This link may be a bit technical, but it contains the information being fed directly to those professionals (public officials, fire fighters, police, EMTs, etc.) in your area who are providing emergency services during an imminent storm event.
During storm emergencies we will post important precipitation and river level alert information as it becomes available to us. The phone number at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly is 609-261-6602. To speak with one of the weather professionals on site, dial extension #223.
This web page was created on December 14, 2007 in response to requests from residents with homes in flood-prone areas of Southampton Township for advance information during storm emergencies.