Disclaimer

The Delaware Coastal Flood Monitoring System (CFMS) website displays forecasted water level data for several locations in Delaware. These data are provided for planning purposes only. The user assumes the entire risk related to use of this data. The CFMS presents data as is provided by automated, operational models, as described below.

  • Predicted water levels at the coastline are generated by the Delaware Bay Operational Forecast System (DBOFS), a physically-based hydrodynamic model that utilizes current meteorological forecasts. DBOFS data should be considered as modeled, forecast guidance only and is not guaranteed by the University of Delaware, Delaware Environmental Observing System or Delaware Geological Survey.
  • Flood inundation maps on the CFMS website are purely computer generated, produced by projecting the DBOFS predictions at the coast inland to each community. This is termed a bathtub model and based solely on a constant water level surface and land surface elevation DEM. No human intervention is performed to refine or qualify the coastline forecast values or the inland inundation maps.
  • Current Conditions tidal data are provided directly from the USGS and NOS real-time tidal gages. The CFMS site reports the latest observation and graphical display from each station. Per NOAA and USGS, these are considered preliminary data and should not be considered final until officially approved.
  • Current Conditions meteorological data are provided directly from the latest reading from the nearest DEOS meteorological station. A disclaimer on the DEOS data is described here.

The authors, the University of Delaware, Delaware Environmental Observing System, and Delaware Geological Survey, disclaim any and all warranties, whether express or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will DGS, DEOS or UD be liable to the user or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of this data.