# @usgs on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DMx7wlBuXDp
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/69013854-usgs-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/96871b9865.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-31T17:16:29.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (@USGS) — https://gondola.cc/USGS

## Caption

Satellites are now tracking flood risks in America's most remote communities—places where a single washed-out bridge can cut off entire towns. Alaska's Department of Transportation manages 5,600 miles of wilderness highways and 839 bridges with virtually no flood monitoring... until now. 
 
The new “Water Information from Space” web application, or WISP, uses NASA's satellites to track water levels across 467,000+ lakes and 93,000 miles of rivers, finally giving isolated communities critical flood data. 
 
"For projects in remote areas, water data useful to hydraulic design tasks is often limited,” said Michael Knapp, Statewide Hydraulic Engineer at the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities. “With the USGS WISP application, we're gaining insights into river systems never before monitored in Alaska's history.”
 
The system tracks ice-jam floods, sudden water level changes, and other dangerous conditions that traditional ground-based sensors miss.
 
While currently focused on U.S. waterways, this technology represents a breakthrough for global water monitoring. In developing nations where monitoring infrastructure is limited, satellite observation could provide crucial data for flood warnings and water resource management.
 
Want to see what's happening with water levels in your area? The tool is free and easy to use—just search by location or water body name. Learn more at the link in USGS's story.

📷 1: Illustration depicts the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite
 
#FloodSafety #SatelliteTechnology #DisasterPreparedness #WaterManagement

## Stats

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- **Likes:** 507
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## Tags

watermanagement, disasterpreparedness, satellitetechnology, floodsafety

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