Watch Duty Expands to Flood Tracking for 20 Million Users as U.S. Flash-Flood Season Begins
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 22
Watch Duty Expands to Flood Tracking for 20 Million Users as U.S. Flash-Flood Season Begins
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 22
Summary
This month, Watch Duty added flood monitoring, letting users track National Weather Service warnings, river gauges, and possible dam or levee failures in the same app long used for wildfire alerts.
The expansion targets peak U.S. flash-flood season and follows last July’s Texas floods, which killed more than 130 people and intensified criticism over missed or delayed warnings.
About 300 volunteer reporters and staff vet scanner traffic, cameras, satellites, user content, and public alerts; the nonprofit says that single-purpose focus can sometimes surface updates faster than local agencies.
Watch Duty says its more than 20 million users can also check FEMA flood-zone exposure and set custom gauge-height alerts, but it stresses the app supplements—not replaces—official warning systems.
Emergency experts said better information helps only if people know evacuation routes and have backup alerts such as local systems or NOAA weather radios, especially when cell service or public infrastructure fails.
As citizen apps outpace official alerts, what safeguards prevent the spread of life-threatening misinformation?
When disaster alerts depend on a smartphone app, who gets left behind in the digital divide?
Watch Duty Reaches 20 Million Users: Nationwide Real-Time Flood and Wildfire Alerts Transform U.S. Disaster Response
Overview
In June 2026, Watch Duty launched a nationwide real-time flood tracking service, marking its evolution from a wildfire-focused app to a comprehensive hazard-monitoring platform. This expansion addresses the ongoing challenge of accessing timely, crucial information during emergencies. Building on its proven success in providing real-time wildfire alerts—used by over 2.5 million people in Los Angeles County alone—Watch Duty relies on a dedicated team of staff and volunteers to collect, vet, and share information. Its rigorous approach has been invaluable, especially in situations where communities previously received little or no warning about devastating disasters.