OHD/RFC: What is an RFC

A River Forecast Center, or RFC, is one of 13 regional offices that forecasts whether rivers are going to flood or not. Information used to make these predictions comes from precipitation forecasts (also called hydrometeorological forecasts), measuring water stages (water levels) at thousands of stream gauges across the country, and understanding soil and geologic characteristics. Those working at RFCs must ask themselves such questions as: How much rain will fall over "Region A" today? Is the soil in "Region A" more likely to absorb rainfall or more likely to allow the water to "runoff" into streams and rivers? How fast does the rain have to come down in "Region A" before there is the potential for a flood? How soon after the rainfall will the flood be at its greatest in "Region A"?

While River Forecast Centers have only been around since 1946, the National Weather Service has been working with flood-related issues since the late 19th century. On October 1, 1890, the Congressional Organic Act designated the then Weather Bureau as the agency to issue official flood and river forecasts. In September 1893 a system of 16 river districts was established, and river and flood forecasting responsibility was delegated to local station officials. In 1894 this system was increased to 21 river districts. Expansion of the river and flood service continued through the turn of the century. By 1911, there were 601 paid and cooperative stations reporting to a total of 56 river districts, and by 1945 that number had grown to 85 river districts, each watching over one or more river basins or parts of larger river basins.

The establishment of the first two RFCs occurred in 1946. Staffed by professional hydrologists, they prepared river and flood forecasts and refined hydrologic forecast procedures for specified areas.