CENTRAL— Central residents can stay ahead of the predicted heavy rainfall and avoid potential flood zones with a software program called Early Flows. 

The program alerts residents in potential flood areas of their neighborhoods using the latest meteorological data.

Kevin Jackson, a resident of Central, said he is concerned about the potential rainfall leading to the upcoming flooding event, having previously driven through floodwaters.

“I pretty much kind of drove through a certain area and the water kind of – I didn't think the area was as deep as I thought it was, but the water got to my tire and I almost panicked when that happened,” said Jackson. 

Principal and Water Resources Market Leader at CSRS, a Westwood Company, Stokka Brown, said he was inspired to create the program after seeing how many people were impacted by the 2016 flood.

“I saw that you can look at your phone and you can see where it’s going to rain in the future. I know we have these hydraulic models that can translate where it rains to where it's going to flood,” said Brown.

Brown said the program gives central residents an idea of how much it’s going to rain around their homes.

When you head to Early Flows, you will see color-coded marked areas. The squares show the measured rainfall, and their color is coded based on the elevation of the water. The circles show forecasted locations with potential flood risk. When you click on one of the colored dots, it shows a hydrograph with three different forecasts that update every hour.

“You can get up to 84 hours' advance notice of rainfall coming, depending on which one of the three meteorological models it's pulling from,” said Brown.

Brown said he is in the process of expanding the program to other parishes.