Fort Bend County commissioners approved funding Thursday, Sept. 24, for a flood dashboard that will pull real-time data into one screen for emergency officials serving Missouri City, Stafford and the rest of the county.

The Commissioners Court voted to fund the system during its regular meeting, CW39 Houston first reported. The platform will consolidate flood-related information for the Fort Bend County Drainage District, the Richmond-based county agency responsible for managing stormwater across Fort Bend County.

The dashboard will give Drainage District staff faster access to conditions on the ground during severe weather. Instead of pulling information from multiple sources, officials will use a single interface to track flooding as storms move through the county.

"This is a major improvement for our Drainage District that could ultimately mean saving lives when every moment counts," Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy said.

McCoy, a Precinct 4 commissioner who also serves on the Drainage District board, called the project an investment in the county's emergency management efforts.

Russ Poppe, first assistant engineer with the Drainage District, said the system will also help officials examine forecasting. County officials said the dashboard could eventually incorporate artificial intelligence for predictive modeling, potentially giving responders earlier insight into when and where flooding may occur.

That capability is not confirmed at launch.

The county described the tool as a data-driven approach to improve emergency decision-making across Fort Bend County. No cost figure, vendor name or deployment timeline appeared in the public record as of Friday, Sept. 25.

For Missouri City and Stafford residents, the practical effect would be quicker, better-informed decisions by the Drainage District during heavy rain events. Residents who want to report flooding or drainage concerns can contact the Fort Bend County Drainage District at (281) 342-2863.