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Sensors and Data at FloodNet
Sensor Technology
FloodNet sensors use an ultrasonic range‐finder to measure the distance to the horizontal surface below the sensor. As flood waters rise, the measured distance will decrease, allowing us to calculate flood depth and monitor flood profile over time.
Data are collected by the sensor every minute and transmitted over a cellular network to our servers where it is processed and then displayed on our data dashboard in near real-time.
Sensor Placement
Flood sensors must be installed directly above the location to be monitored. To determine locations for installation we use a combination of data sources including location suggestions made by city residents and municipal agencies, predicted flooding from the NYC stormwater and coastal flood maps, and availability of street infrastructure to use to install the sensor devices.
Data Dashboard
Our data dashboard was developed in partnership with FieldKit. The main page features a map view, allowing users to view all flood sensor readings in real time. Clicking on a sensor icon directs users to a data view page, where users can interact with historic time series data from a specific sensor. Users can compare data from two sensors, or overlay tide or precipitation data from nearby weather gauges.
Data Downloads
Sensor data are available free to the public, city agencies, and researchers for non-commercial use. Please inquire about licenses for other data uses. Per-minute depth measurements for all sensors are available in CSV format or through our API; data summaries of measured flood events will be available in the near future. If using the data in any publication or presentation, please cite this paper:
Mydlarz, C., Sai Venkat Challagonda, P., Steers, B., Rucker, J., Brain, T., Branco, B., Burnett, H.E., Kaur, A., Fischman, R., Graziano, K., Krueger, K., Henaff, E., Ignace, V., Jozwiak, E., Palchuri, J., Pierone, P., Rothman, P., Toledo-Crow, R., Silverman, A.I. (2024) FloodNet: Low-cost ultrasonic sensors for real-time measurement of hyperlocal, street-level floods in New York City. Water Resources Research, 60, e2023WR036806. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036806
FloodNet Sensors Are
Flexible for multiple use cases
Designed to measure any type of flood, with wireless power and data transmission for flexible deployment
Real-time
Data are collected every minute and publicly displayed in real-time
Low-cost
Comprised of low-cost components to allow the deployment of a large number of sensors
