Department of Natural Resources updates Missouri Flood & Drought app to include Missouri’s 93 state park and historic site boundaries

Department of Natural Resources updates Missouri Flood & Drought app to include Missouri’s 93 state park and historic site boundaries                                                    

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 21, 2026 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has updated the Missouri Flood & Drought app to include Missouri’s 93 state park and historic site boundaries and labels, making it easier for users to identify locations on the platform.

Missouri’s Division of State Parks maintains comprehensive emergency response protocols developed in coordination with local law enforcement, emergency management agencies and first responders. Team members continually monitor weather forecasts and maintain contact with state and local emergency responders to facilitate quick evacuations or shelter procedures if needed. Visitors are encouraged to stay informed by monitoring local weather alerts on their mobile devices, becoming familiar with locations of shelter areas upon arrival and following all advisories issued by park personnel.

“This is a relatively new app MoDNR released in April 2026,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “Setting up notifications for streams in your area allows the app to alert you to vital flooding information, so you can avoid a route that could potentially put you in danger. It is an extremely valuable tool on multiple levels, especially for public safety.”

“Safety and emergency preparedness are always a top priority for the Missouri Division of State Parks,” said Justin Adams, deputy director of operations for MoDNR’s Division of State Parks. “The Missouri Flood & Drought app serves as an additional resource to support emergency response plans and situational awareness, helping staff respond quickly and effectively when needed.”

Developed over a three-year period, the free Missouri Flood & Drought app uses data from MoDNR’s network of steamgages and soil-moisture sensors to display real-time conditions, as well as how forecasted weather may impact different regions.

Available to download through app stores, the app’s release is the first step to grow Missouri’s resilience to flooding and drought. Users can also visit the desktop version at mohic.hub.arcgis.com.

The app is designed to make it easy for people to consume streamgage and flooding data in the same way they would consume weather data. Users can set up notifications for streams in their area, and the app will alert them to vital flooding information so users can avoid a route that could potentially put them in danger. 

In collaboration with multiple partners, the department continues to install a network of statewide streamgages to monitor water levels and stream velocity, as well as a network of soil-moisture sensors to monitor ground saturation. Data collected from these networks provide the information making the app’s monitoring and forecasting capabilities possible.

Visit Missouri Hydrology Information Center (MoHIC)|Missouri Department of Natural Resources to access the Missouri Flood & Drought app and learn more. The Division of State Parks is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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