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Automated Flash Flood Forecasting Systems Fact or Fantasy? International Workshop on Flash Flood Forecasting San Jose, Costa Rica, 13-17 March 2006 Session 2: Emerging Technologies Slide 2 Urban Drainage and Flood Control District Slide 3 1976 1996 1985 1972 Motivation Slide 4 Early Prediction & Notification Meteorological Support (27 years) National Weather Service Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (Private Meteorologist) Local Flood Warning Program early notification, forecasting, detection and warning capabilities (Basin-Specific Flood Warning Plans) EOC Activation communications, weather/flood monitoring, early mobilization, coordination Slide 5 Our Major DilemmaTime Slide 6 ALERT Systems Automated Local Evaluation in Real-Time Slide 7 ALERT weather station ALERT Rain Gage ALERT stream gage co-located with USGS river gaging station ALERT rain/stream gage Automated Flood Detection Slide 8 Typical ALERT Site Slide 9 Public and Emergency Services Webservers Slide 10 ALERT Mesonetbefore the storm Slide 11 Real-Time Rainfall & Stream Levels Slide 12 Emerging Technologies Internet-driven paging & alarming (push & pull) GIS integration using XML & SVG (the new Internet language) Multiple data source integration Multiple data source integration Real-time flood inundation mapping Real-time flood inundation mapping Build your own custom displays Build your own custom displays Data processing & analysis by others Data processing & analysis by others Decision support for emergency managers Slide 13 Rainfall Rate Alarms Automatically disseminated via email and text messaging Slide 14 Automated Alarm Notifications cell phones/computers/pagers/PDAs Slide 15 Data Integration One-Stop Shopping Slide 16 Rainfall Data Integration ALERT Rain Gage NetworkALERT & CoCoRaHS Slide 17 Slide 18 Automated Forecasting? You be the judge Slide 19 Synchronized Integration Animated Display TITAN model from NCAR NWS Radar ALERT Rainfall Real-time synchronization of surface rainfall measurements, radar imagery and storm track forecasting model output Slide 20 Emerging GIS Capabilities Slide 21 Integrated Flood Threat Recognition Slide 22 Real-Time Hydrologic Models Slide 23 Aviso Watch Yellow Alert Aviso Watch Yellow. Observed water levels. Boulder Creek at Boulder Falls (ALERT 4393). 9:39:36 AM MST Monday, April 18, 2005 Slide 24 Aviso Watch 3000cfs Inundation Slide 25 Aviso Watch Red Alert Aviso Watch Red. Forecast Basin-avg precip. Fourmile Creek at Long Gulch (Sub12). 09:54:57 AM MST Monday, April 18, 2005 Slide 26 Aviso Watch 12,000cfs Inundation Slide 27 Depth Inundation Zones Slide 28 And sometimes we just miss the peak. Slide 29 Thank you Kevin Stewart, Manager Information Services and Flood Warning Program Urban Drainage and Flood Control District Denver, Colorado & Chairman, National Hydrologic Warning Council