BROCK VERGAKIS
Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Residents in flood-prone Hampton Roads have a new tool to view and report flooding hot spots.

The Norfolk-based environmental group Wetlands Watch has developed a mobile application that allows people to map, take pictures of and outline areas that are inundated during high tide and heavy rains. A test of the app was conducted Wednesday.

In low-lying cities like Norfolk, many streets are frequently impassable due to flooding.

The information gathered from volunteers who use the app can be used by emergency managers and researchers. Ultimately, the environmental group wants to send warnings through the app to alert users to streets and homes likely to flood. In the future, the information could be incorporated into other applications to let people know what roads to avoid, much like with traffic accidents.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.