When minutes matter, BayouWatch is watching.

Official flood warnings covered whole counties and watersheds. That is right for emergency managers, but too coarse for a family deciding whether to move the car or leave the street before the water arrives.

BayouWatch closes that gap. It watches 47 water-level sensors at bayous, ditches and storm drains, anchored by the USGS stream gauges the county already relies on, and checks every reading against the official National Weather Service flood stages. Combined with NWS rainfall forecasts, that gives residents 30 to 60 minutes of warning before flooding reaches their street, in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese or Arabic.

BayouWatch does not replace official guidance. It sits alongside NWS and Harris County Flood Control District alerts and buys residents extra minutes. Read about the team, how the system works, or the partners whose data makes it possible.