Streamflow is the water discharge in a natural channel.  Streamflow is measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) and monitored by the United States Geological Survey.  You may view the stream gages in the Brazos River basin by clicking here. 

Runoff is that part of precipitation, snow melt or irrigation water that does not sink into the ground but moves from the land into streams or other surface water. It can carry pollutants from the land or air to its destination waters.

Flood stage is an established gage height within a creek or river above which a rise in water surface level is described as a flood. This is the elevation at which the overflow of the natural banks of a stream or body of water begins.

A flood plain is any normally dry land area susceptible to inundation by water. This area is usually low, flat and next to a stream or other body of water.

The National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning to inform the public, emergency management, and other cooperating agencies that flash flooding is in progress, imminent, or highly likely.  For additional information on flood warning and watches, click here

The National Flood Insurance Program is a federal insurance program under which flood-prone areas are identified and flood insurance is made available to residents of participating communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage.  For additional information and qualification requirements, click here 

A 500-year flood is a high streamflow that overflows the natural or artifical banks of a water way and has a two-tenths of one percent chance of occurring in any given year.

A 50-year flood is a high streamflow that overflows the natural or artifical banks of a water way and has a two percent chance of occurring in any given year.

A 10-year flood is a high streamflow that overflows the natural or artifical banks of a water way and has a ten percent chance of occurring in any given year.

A 100-year flood is a flood event that it has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year. The term “100-year” is a measure of a flood’s size, not how often it occurs. Although statistically unlikely, several 100-year floods can occur within the same year or a few short years. It is also called the base flood.