FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania’s more than 25-year-old flood warning system got some upgrades this week.

By law, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency must implement a “program of integrated flood warning systems.” The original system dates back to the 1970s and 1980s.

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This Week in Pennsylvania

PEMA unveiled the next generation of equipment for monitoring the weather today in Franklin County.

“Flooding is the top natural hazard in the Commonwealth, and enhancing detection and providing early warning are critical tools to prevent loss of life,” said Randy Padfield, director for the agency.

Known as the IFLOWS 2.0, the system provides real-time weather information and alerting tools to emergency managers, meteorologists, and the public at sites across the Commonwealth. It adds 30 new weather stations to Penn State University’s recently installed 20 stations, totaling 50 stations across 38 counties known as the Pennsylvania Environmental Monitoring Network.

The network is supplemented by other weather data being provided to the Keystone Mesonet from:

• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

• Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

• Federal Aviation Administration

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• University of Delaware sites in Chester County, PA

Access to weather data in remote locations will help assist emergency managers with providing timely severe weather warnings, the agency said. It comes as parts of the state experience a wet summer, and with it, nearly weekly flash flood warnings.

The new stations will also serve an educational purpose for the state’s K-12 schools.

Because many of the stations are located on school district properties, Greencastle-Antrim School District is developing a state-standard weather curriculum with Penn State. It will pull data from the system to teach STEM concepts with real-world applications.

“We are so fortunate to be able to have one of these weather stations installed on our campus,” said Dr. Lura Hanks, Greencastle-Antrim School District superintendent. “Our students will benefit from opportunities to use the same data forecasters are using to study weather patterns and will develop an understanding of the relationship between the many partners using the data to help us all plan for weather events.

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The curriculum is free for use by public, private, charter, and homeschool educators across the Commonwealth. A $499,192 PAsmart Advancing grant funded the curriculum’s development.

The IFLOWS 2.0 upgrade is possible through a $720,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a $172,500 grant from the agency’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program, and funding from the Commonwealth.

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