The site is still being tweaked, but residents can view it at https://development-public.torresassociates.com.
Torres said B-FEWS was created to address Bryan’s need for comprehensive flood monitoring and a reliable way to distribute public safety information. The system has been in development since 2020 and was completed in January 2023. Over the last six months, his team has focused on improving how the collected data is communicated to the public in a clear, understandable way.
According to Torres, the website is expected to increase public awareness, improve emergency preparedness, build trust, enhance engagement, reduce misinformation, support local planning efforts and provide access to flood data.
“A lot of folks are looking at what we’re doing here in Bryan as a success story and a potential blueprint of scaling other areas around the state,” Torres said.
“It’s going to keep people safe, so it’s a benefit for the public. The public-facing platform is going to allow [the public] to go to the site themselves and see, either on their computer, phone or tablet — how the conditions are on the road during that time.”
He mentioned that his team will continue to improve the website by making it multilingual to increase its accessibility — which is already ADA compliant.
The website features an interactive live map gauging flood areas with data, like stream water levels and rainfall accumulation. It also works with the National Weather Service to provide live radar and a weekly forecast overview, which Torres said resonates deeper with the public's local flood risks.
Paul Kaspar, assistant public works director for Bryan, has worked closely with Torres and Associates during the system’s development. He said B-FEWS will likely benefit the community in multiple ways beyond its original purpose.
“I think the biggest use of the website is going to be the curiosity of folks who want to know what the rainfall is — there’s 20 rain gauges," Kaspar said. “There’s probably some uses that weren’t intended when we put this thing together, but that will be more popular.”
Anish Sudini, a software engineer for Torres and Associates, manages the website, identifies data sources and helps determine how to communicate that information effectively to public personnel. He said that mapping services like Waze and Google Maps will now alert drivers of flood conditions based on reports from Torres and Associates.
“That’s fully working and good to go right now and that’s something we’re hoping to keep expanding — if we continue to expand to other cities and across the nation,” Sudini said.
“We’re now at the stage where we’ve got the hardware, the sensor, the software, the primary software that’s sort of managing the whole system and giving the city the keys to access from an administration standpoint,” Torres said.
Now that the system is complete, the team is focusing on the website’s functionality and integrating advanced data models to produce more accurate floodplain information, which could help with future development decisions.
“Bryan’s never really had that kind of data, so we’re excited about seeing the next generation of flood studies,” Kaspar said. “After collecting data for a number of years, someone can digest that, replicate it and put some better maps out there.”
Torres said there are a lot of future opportunities to collaborate with other city departments and businesses like Bryan Texas Utilities and the water department. One possibility would be using the platform to notify the public about water outages and maintenance, though no plans have been finalized.
City council members were in full support of the website’s launch and encouraged the developers to get it up and running, while working toward integrating the platform into the city’s main website for live updates.
Torres thanked the city for its partnership and support throughout the project.
“The city has been a great collaborator and partner on something that we built from the ground up and is now—what I would say — is the talk of the state,” Torres said. “The city’s support is tremendous; it’s half the battle. So thank you to the City of Bryan for that.”
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