Overview
- Task force lead Tom Moser told commissioners the project is in phase two of four and expects to finish that phase by the end of October, with a draft proposal due this month.
- The envisioned system fuses river and rain gauges with National Weather Service forecasts to run projection models that issue location‑specific alerts to sirens, camp and park systems, smartphones, social media, and CodeRed.
- The county plans to solicit and select vendor proposals in early 2026, then test and begin operating key components by next summer, with redundancy and a short human‑override window for alerts.
- State action includes a requirement to identify where sirens are needed plus funding of $50 million for sirens and gauges and $28 million for forecasting improvements.
- UGRA plans to maintain gauges and add a South Fork stream gauge within about a year, while Kerr Together prepares a one‑stop resource center and other assistance for families recovering from the July 4 disaster.