The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) has announced upgrades to the state’s flood warning and observation system, known as the Pennsylvania Integrated Flood Warning and Observation System (IFLOWS 2.0).
The improvements include the installation of 30 new weather stations across the state, bringing the total number to 50 in 38 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Most new stations will be placed on school properties, allowing K–12 students to incorporate the data into classroom weather studies.
Funding for the IFLOWS upgrade came from two FEMA grants: $720,000 from a 2022 Hazard Mitigation grant and $172,500 from a 2021 Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant.
PEMA Director Randy Padfield said the system provides early warnings for conditions that could lead to flooding or other natural hazards, helping prevent loss of life.
One of the participating school districts is Greencastle-Antrim, which received a PAsmart Advancing grant of approximately $500,000 in 2022 for STEM programming. The district is working with Penn State to incorporate real-time weather data into its environmental literacy curriculum.
The IFLOWS network is part of the Pennsylvania Environmental Monitoring Network and involves collaboration between academic institutions and government agencies. Penn State is a key partner and recently received a Department of Energy grant to study thunderstorm processes.
Meteorologist-in-Charge Ashley Evans of the National Weather Service in State College said the new stations will enhance the agency’s ability to issue timely warnings and provide the public with critical lead time.
Much of Pennsylvania is currently under a flood watch, with growing concern over severe weather impacts, particularly in the capital region along the Susquehanna River.
