Texas AgriLife Research / Blackland Research Center / Water Science Laboratory
Dr. Dennis Hoffman - Principal Investigator, Mr. June Wolfe - Project Manager
Flood Alert System via Telemetry (FAST)
Developed for Fort Hood - Mr. Jerry Paruzinski, Fort Hood ITAM Director

Fort Hood is one of the nation's largest armored posts occupying 335 square miles of central Texas real estate. Over 40,000 men and women of the III Corps, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 4th Infantry Division, and several smaller units call Fort Hood home. During heavy rainfall events military and civilian traffic may encounter flash flood conditions at low water crossings on both tactical and paved roads across the reservation. A flood warning system, based on an established water quality monitoring system, was proposed and installed in 2002 by the Blackland Research Center's Water Science Laboratory (BRC). Working under the direction of Fort Hood's ITAM Director, Mr. Jerry Paruzinski, stream monitoring stations were positioned at major watershed outflow points across the reservation providing technical assistance to Fort Hood's land management staff in their sediment mitigation program. These locations coincided with treacherous stream crossings. Adding cellular telephones to the existing equipment allowed Range Control officers to receive automated voice alarms when flood conditions were detected. The system was based on older analog cellular phone technology and in late 2007 the monitoring equipment was upgraded to newer, more reliable digital cellular service.  This provided improved communications and real-time monitoring capabilities. The digital system continuously measures water level at six low water crossings on three major streams. At 10 minute intervals, data is uploaded to a BRC internet server for continuous web-based information delivery. During flood conditions sensors also report through an automated text message service. Alarms are sent to a dedicated receiver at Fort Hood Range Control from where flood alerts are relayed to a list of personnel that respond appropriately allowing Range Managers to notify field units of rapidly approaching dangerous stream crossing conditions. The dual reporting nature supplies system redundancy and increased reliability. Planned expansion includes flood prediction modeling, additional monitoring locations, and automated warning lights at high risk areas.