Live USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) streamflow gauge integration for ATAK. Monitor configurable gauges in real time, classify readings against four flood stages, and receive automatic CoT broadcast alerts when gauges breach action or flood stage thresholds.
Flood events are among the most dangerous and rapidly evolving natural hazards. Tactical AI DuckDB integrates with the USGS NWIS Instantaneous Values REST API to stream gauge readings into DuckDB, classify flood stage in real time, and fire CoT alerts the moment a monitored waterway exceeds a configured threshold.
An emergency manager adds three upstream gauges to the flood monitor for a canyon evacuation corridor. When the first gauge crosses flood stage at 2:15 AM, ATAK broadcasts a CoT alert to all responders on the network. By the time the flood wave reaches the evacuation route 40 minutes later, crews have already repositioned.
Each gauge has independently configurable thresholds for each of the four USGS flood stage classifications. The classification is recomputed with every reading and stored in the usgs_gauge_readings DuckDB table.
| Stage Class | Default Threshold | CoT Alert | CoT Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORMAL | Below action stage | No alert | Green |
| ACTION | Action stage height | Advisory broadcast | Yellow |
| FLOOD | Flood stage height | Warning broadcast | Orange |
| MAJOR_FLOOD | Major flood stage height | Emergency broadcast | Red |
Any USGS NWIS 8-digit site number can be added to the monitor. The plugin fetches gauge metadata (name, location coordinates) automatically from the NWIS site service. Gauges are stored in DuckDB alongside their readings, enabling spatial correlation with fire perimeters and evacuation routes.
Flood gauge readings at FLOOD or MAJOR_FLOOD stage are automatically considered by the Evacuation Planner when evaluating route hazard conflicts. Evacuation zones routed through areas with active flood gauges are flagged as potentially hazardous.
flood_monitorThe flood_monitor agent tool enables natural language flood monitoring management. Operators can ask the AI to add gauges, check current stage conditions, or force a refresh of all monitored sites.