Flash floods generally do not show up on river gauges until it is too late.
But a flash flood’s impacts can be across a large area.
Flash flooding can bring fast flowing water that rises rapidly.
This rapid rise can put lives in danger and cause major damage to property, roads and infrastructure such as railways, road embankments (leading to landslips) and to power and communication networks.
The rapid rise can also mean there is little time to predict the impact downstream.
Because the rise is not measured by river gauges in time to warn people, evacuation plans can be chaotic because escape roads become closed before residents can leave for higher ground.
More gauges and having simpler automatic ones further upstream – in the creeks – would give earlier warning of any growing danger.
There is an opportunity there for high school technology classes to develop simple cheap gauges that could give some warning in future floods and perhaps save lives.
and then