1. How can I embed water levels on my website?
We offer a range of free and pre-made lists, charts, and images with water data for your website. On our Github page, you can find instructions and examples for easy integration.
2. How can I retrieve water levels via an interface?
We offer a simple REST API for retrieving current and historical water data - and much more. On our Github page, you can find descriptions and examples for easy integration. We offer free access for developers.
3. How can I view and monitor the water levels of my measuring station/municipality, etc. in FloodAlert?
We need access to the values you measure. We have a lot of experience in integrating water levels and flows from external systems into FloodAlert. It's best to contact us via email at office@pegelalarm.at.
4. How does the app alert me?
FloodAlert displays water levels and flow rates of water bodies from several countries. You can set a threshold for high or low water for individual water bodies. Once the app receives data indicating that this value has been exceeded or fallen below, it alerts you via display, vibration (if available), and ringtone.
Note: The alert is based on the most current but past data. Forecast values are not taken into account!
5. Is the app free?
Installing the app is free. Costs apply for certain functions such as setting up a second level monitor. The app clearly indicates possible costs before they are incurred.
6. The water level alert on my Android device did not seem to work. What should I do?
On some Android devices, there can be issues with water level monitoring if the often unnoticed energy-saving mode is not explicitly disabled by the manufacturer. Please disable this energy-saving mode for our app.
7. How can I order SMS or email notifications?
Please go to https://earlyfloodalert.com/paw and open the order form for the water body you want to receive notifications for. There, enter your mobile phone number and the threshold at which you want to be informed. Additionally, you must provide your email address, to which we will send payment instructions. Follow the instructions in the email. You will now receive the ordered notification services.
8. How can I change the settings of my SMS or email notifications?
Please go to https://earlyfloodalert.com/paw and open the order form for the water body you already receive notifications for. Enter your email address and adjust your settings as you want them from now on. Make sure to provide the email address you used when ordering. Then press the 'Order with costs' button. This action is, of course, free.
9. How can I cancel SMS and email notifications?
Please go to https://earlyfloodalert.com/paw and open the order form for the water body you receive notifications for. Enter your email address and click 'Cancel order'. Make sure to provide the email address you used when ordering. Note: If you have taken out a paid subscription using the payment method 'Paypal', this remains unaffected.
10. How can I deactivate Paypal payments?
Please go to https://paypal.com and open the settings. There, select the Payments menu item and then 'Manage PayPal payments by merchant'. In the displayed list, there should be entries from SOBOS GmbH with the description FloodAlert Notification for ... Select the entry to be terminated. On the following page, you can end the payment by clicking Cancel. After that, you will no longer be charged for this water body.
11. Where do the data come from?
We collect the data from websites and providers such as fire departments, measuring station operators, municipalities, countries, and other public institutions. Some also provide us with this data through a defined interface. A list can be found at: Data Sources
12. A water body near me is not included in FloodAlert. What can I do to make it available?
Write us a short email with the name and region of the water body and a link that shows the current water data in text form to data@pegelalarm.at (mail template included).
13. What does 'suggested (pre-)alarm limit' mean?
For many stations, official pre-alarm or alarm thresholds are defined by authorities or other institutions. These thresholds indicate that when they are reached, there was a medium or high risk in the past.
14. What is gauge zero?
Gauge zero is the reference point from which the water level is measured. It is usually a fixed point that does not change.
15. What does the water level mean and how does it relate to water depth?
The indicated water level usually does not correspond to the water depth in the gauge profile. The water level or measurement values refer to the gauge zero, which is only in exceptional cases identical to the riverbed. This can lead to discrepancies between the water level and the water depth.
16. Why are some water levels negative?
The gauge zero is usually not identical to the riverbed. If the water level is below the gauge zero, the water level will be displayed as negative.
17. Why are some flow values negative?
The flow rate is usually given in cubic meters per second (m³/s). If the flow rate is negative, it means that the water body is flowing in the opposite direction. This can be caused by tides, for example.
18. Why are some water levels higher than 15000 cm (15 meters)?
This occurs when the gauge zero is not in the riverbed but much deeper, such as at sea level. In Switzerland, waterlevels are often displayed as the distance to the Mediterranean Sea.
19. What does a yellow or red marked measuring station mean?
When a pre-alarm threshold is reached, the station is marked yellow. When the alarm threshold is reached, the station is marked red. If none of these thresholds are defined, a yellow marked station means that a possible medium risk exists for this point or water section. A medium risk means that a one, two, or five-year flood level has been reached.
A red marked station then means that a possible high risk exists for this point or water section. A high risk means that a flood level of more than five years has been reached.
See Wikipedia: Flood
20. What does the indicated trend mean?
The trend indicates whether the water level is rising, falling, or remaining constant. Usually, we take the trend from our data sources. Therefore, they are not uniformly definable and depend on regional definitions. If a data source does not provide a trend for a gauge, we calculate the trend by comparing the last measured water level with the immediately preceding measured water level. If the water level difference per unit of time is significant (at least a 5 cm change per hour), it is determined whether the trend is rising, falling, or constant.
21. I found an error. What can I do?
Write us an email with an error description indicating what you expected from FloodAlert and what it actually does at office@pegelalarm.at.
If available, also send us a screenshot. The name of your device or its platform (iOS, Android, ...) can also be very helpful.