The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) this week reported that for the second year in a row, near record-setting precipitation amounts resulted in streamflow and soil moisture levels being much above normal. Groundwater levels also were above normal. SRBC presented this hydrologic summary during its quarterly business meeting in North East, Maryland.

SRBC compared 2004 precipitation and streamflow conditions with those in 2003, 2002 and 2001 to show how they have varied in the last four years – 2002 and 2001 were drought years.

Here’s a chart showing percipitation in inches for January 1–November 30 in 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001. Below is the average precipitation for the New York and Pennsylvania (above Harrisburg) portions of the Susquehanna basin.

During the weekend of September 18 and 19, Tropical Storm Ivan dumped anywhere from 1.5 to 9.5 inches of rain on the Susquehanna River Basin over a brief period. Early estimates had the damages in the Susquehanna basin ranging from $200 to $300 million, and 37 38 counties in the Pennsylvania portion of the basin were declared disaster areas by the state and federal governments. The damages would have been much worse in the basin were it not for the nonstructural flood protection programs, namely the Susquehanna Flood Forecasting and Warning System, combined with the structural flood control projects, including dams, levees and channels.

The Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates 14 flood control reservoirs in the Susquehanna basin. Those 14 reservoirs along with the 21 USACE-built and locally maintained flood control projects held back an estimated 135 billion gallons of floodwater. This prevented more than $1.6 billion in additional flood damage.

Leading up to Tropical Storm Ivan, the data provided by the Susquehanna Flood Forecasting and Warning System allowed the National Weather Service to issue near-perfect flood predictions and warnings, reducing millions in damages.

Early flood warnings help save lives and reduce annual average flood damages by $32 million in the Susquehanna basin. The enhanced Susquehanna System was initiated by SRBC in 1985 because the Susquehanna basin is one of the most flood-prone areas in the country. For more information on the Susquehanna Flood Forecasting and Warning System, and for photos and news articles on Tropical Storm Ivan, go to SRBC’s Flood Warning website

SRBC is the governing agency established under a 100-year compact signed on December 24, 1970 by the federal government and the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland to protect and wisely manage the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin. The Susquehanna River starts in Cooperstown, N.Y., and flows 444 miles to Havre de Grace, Md., where the river meets the Chesapeake Bay.

12/17/2004