Inflow is water entering a reservoir during a period, outflow is water released or discharged, and flood cushion is unfilled storage available to absorb floodwater under a particular measure. None is the same as the reservoir capacity. APWRIMS live-style tables can change several times daily.

For disaster planning, high inflow alone does not state downstream risk without current storage, gate operation and downstream rain. A static exam capsule should teach the columns and official alert source, not preserve a one-day flood figure as a permanent answer.

Worked example: Inflow is water entering a reservoir; outflow is water released or passing downstream. A flood cushion is space kept available to absorb high inflows, where applicable under operating rules. A single high inflow reading does not tell you whether storage rose unless outflow and the time interval are known. APWRIMS and disaster-management bulletins publish time-stamped observations; a static book should teach the relationship rather than freeze a transient reading.

Active recall: Locate the named river or project on the relevant map, name its function, and state which facts need a dated source.