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City of Orange, Lamar University present FIDO flood‑gauge pilot to council
Summary
City staff and Lamar University outlined a pilot called FIDO (Flood Information and Drainage Observations) that places citizen‑readable water gauges with QR codes at low‑lying locations; Lamar will supply materials and the city will install and maintain signs, with a planned rollout in summer 2025.
City staff and researchers from Lamar University outlined a citizen‑reporting flood‑gauge pilot at the April 8 City of Orange council meeting.
The program, called FIDO — Flood Information and Drainage Observations — would place about 20 markers in low‑lying areas. Citizens would scan a QR code on the sign, photograph the water level on a small gauge and submit the photo; the submissions would feed real‑time water‑level data to the project partners and make localized flood observations widely available.
Miss Malloy, presenting the project for the city, said, “We are calling this program FIDO. It stands for flood information and drainage observations.” She told the council Lamar University will supply the signs, meters and poles while the City of Orange will install the signs and maintain their visibility.
Malloy said the program’s benefits include improved predictive modeling and mapping, increased community engagement and faster emergency response. “We are planning to start rolling these out summer 2025 just in time for hurricane season,” she said.
Representatives from Lamar — including a faculty member and graduate students working on the project — were on hand. Council members and the mayor praised the collaboration and noted the project will also serve as a hands‑on experience for Lamar graduate students.
No cost to the city for equipment was reported in the presentation; Malloy said Lamar would provide the hardware and the city would handle installation and sign maintenance. The presentation did not include a final funding commitment for installation labor or ongoing data hosting costs.
Council members did not take a formal vote on the pilot during the presentation; staff invited questions and indicated plans to move toward deployment over the coming months.
