The USGS, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, has just installed five new strengthened, or 'hardened', tidal gages along the Louisiana Gulf Coast and Mississippi Sound. These gages were designed to withstand a Category 4 hurricane storm surge. Real-time data from hardened gages, as well as storm surge sensors and rapidly deployable mobile gages will also be accessible on the USGS Hazards Map on a Google Map interface.

Rapidly deployed mobile stations provide special, short term data in critical areas lacking long term stream gages. These mobile real-time stations will help emergency needs and improve coastal flood forecasts. They provide up to the minute data that is critical to the National Weather Service and other partners involved in issuing flood warnings and the evacuation of communities.

USGS also has a network of rugged, inexpensive water level and barometric pressure sensors, called storm surge sensors, which were ready to be installed right before Gustav hit land. These sensors provide information about storm surge duration, times of surge arrival and retreat, and maximum depths, which is useful in forecasting and modelling future events. Tropical Storms Katrina and Rita vividly demonstrated that coastal storm surge can be as dangerous as inland flooding caused by rain.

For further information regarding USGS visit www.usgs.gov