National Weather Service Flood Inundation Mapping A New Way A New Wayof Looking at Flooding Diane...

National Weather Service

Flood Inundation MappingFlood Inundation Mapping A New Way A New Way

of of Looking at FloodingLooking at Flooding

Diane CooperDiane CooperHydrologic Services Program ManagerHydrologic Services Program ManagerNWS - Southern Region HeadquartersNWS - Southern Region Headquarters

November 7, 2007November 7, 2007


Today’s TopicsToday’s Topics

• History of NWS Flood Severity Inundation History of NWS Flood Severity Inundation MappingMapping

• How Standards for the Maps were identified.How Standards for the Maps were identified.

• Online Demonstration Online Demonstration

• Funding for the project.Funding for the project.


Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services (AHPS) ObjectivesServices (AHPS) Objectives

More precise forecasts at many time-scalesMore precise forecasts at many time-scales

Information to make risk based decisionsInformation to make risk based decisions

Easy product accessEasy product access

Visually oriented productsVisually oriented products


Data Currently Available for All Data Currently Available for All AHPS Points AHPS Points

3-tier, impact based, flood severity scale of minor, moderate, and major flooding categories.

Historical Crests information.

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Low Water Records.

Flood Impacts at particular stages.

http://www.weather.gov/ahps/


Customers are telling us they….Customers are telling us they….

• are familiar with NWS flood severity are familiar with NWS flood severity categoriescategories

• find them usefulfind them useful

• do not want changes to the existing flood do not want changes to the existing flood severity indicesseverity indices

• BUT…..they need a more intuitive way to BUT…..they need a more intuitive way to communicate a persons Risk from a Flood.communicate a persons Risk from a Flood.

Hence…..Flood Inundation graphics (maps)

Graphical Flood Impact Information Graphical Flood Impact Information

Partnering with NC Floodplain Mapping Program Office, FEMA, and USGS to Partnering with NC Floodplain Mapping Program Office, FEMA, and USGS to develop prototype user-requested graphics to better convey flood threatdevelop prototype user-requested graphics to better convey flood threat

A 2-Dimensional Way to depict the 3-Dimensional

(real life) impact

We “add” an overlay to existing We “add” an overlay to existing base mapsbase maps


How Can this “New Way” of Displaying How Can this “New Way” of Displaying Information Help Decision Makers? Information Help Decision Makers?

"The problem for our emergency responders during flooding is that we rush over "The problem for our emergency responders during flooding is that we rush over our floodplain maps but they are basically a 100 year storm event that rarely our floodplain maps but they are basically a 100 year storm event that rarely informs the expected flooding from a particular storm event." informs the expected flooding from a particular storm event."

Floodplain Manager , Baltimore Area Floodplain Manager , Baltimore Area

• Provides a one stop shop for Emergency Managers, Fire, Police and General public to better understand the impact of a flood.

• Those individuals can make quicker and more informed decisions of :

• where to close roads, • where to evacuate, • where to sandbag

for contingency planning or in the heat of the battle.


Demonstration of Demonstration of Web PageWeb Page

Goldsboro NC


What about FEMA’s Map What about FEMA’s Map Mod Program?Mod Program?

FEMA is updating their FIRM’s( FEMA FEMA is updating their FIRM’s( FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps) with a Flood Insurance Rate Maps) with a goal of:goal of:

Producing flood hazard layer in a seamless, county-wide GIS format that still provides flood severity information based on the probability of occurrence for a particular flood.

Providing maps and data in digital format (DFIRM) in adherence to established GIS Data Capture Standards

Legacy FIRMS originally developed 30+ years ago.

New DFIRMS, which incorporated any updated modeling.

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/mm_main.shtmhttp://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/mm_main.shtm


NOAA and FEMA PartneNOAA and FEMA Partnershiprship Partnering to Communicate Flood RiskPartnering to Communicate Flood Risk

• FEMA providing updated Digital Flood Insurance Risk Maps (DFIRMS)

• NWS developing inundation maps to show the potential area covered by flood waters at a given stage/flow

• They have identified ways to leverage each others ongoing activities and develop map inundation libraries at NWS service locations.

Subcommittee on Hydrology Newsletter; Volume 1, Issue 2, March 2007

http://acwi.gov/hydrology/index.html

Floods are a National Issue

Goal provide maps that not only convey flood risk Goal provide maps that not only convey flood risk but also flood severity and damage impactsbut also flood severity and damage impacts


Other Partners InvolvedOther Partners Involved

• USGS(provides the real-time and historical Gage information.)

• Corps of Engineers(mainly involved with Map Mod and the modeling component.)

• State and Local Communities(Assisting in Securing Funds and identifying potential locations)

• Water Shed Concepts through EarthData International

(company that has been contract to identify the map guidelines and is producing the NWS component of the project.)


Partnering to Reduce Costs and Partnering to Reduce Costs and Improve EfficiencyImprove Efficiency

• Cost per county average for updating FIS and maps: ~$300 - 400 K

• Additional cost to complete one inundation map library as part of the FIS: $5 – 6 K (~1-2% cost increase)

• Cost doubles and time increases if inundation map library is created after FIS is completed: $11 - 12K

• Developing inundation libraries in conjunction with FIS yields significant user benefit for small incremental cost.

Efficiency goes upEfficiency goes up

Costs go downCosts go down


What It Takes To Produce The What It Takes To Produce The Inundation MapsInundation Maps

• NWS Flood Severity Inundation Mapping Standards and Methodologies Contract #EA 133C-05-CQ-1051 Task Order #2)

• Provides information including: Standards for topographic and

base data Vertical Datums Hydraulic modeling methods Map Scales and layout


Mapped Locations and Short Term Mapped Locations and Short Term Activities.Activities.

October 2007October 2007 17 Sites near Raleigh, NC. (Hurricane

Floyd Funding)

Summer 2008Summer 2008

• 35 NWS Southern Region forecast points in 4 Gulf Coast States (Hurricane Katrina Funding)


How Can We Expand to More How Can We Expand to More Locations?Locations?

Hone in on Future FEMA Map Modernization Areas

Look for opportunities with Corps of Engineers downstream study areas

Identify areas of ongoing or planned Coastal Areas and Dynamic Modeling studies

Engage Local and State partners to identify higher profile locations an provide financial support for the project

Once the Hydrologic and Hydraulic modeling is complete it is an extra 3 to 6K to produce these graphics for NWS AHPS.


Recent Media Coverage Recent Media Coverage

One minute Weather Channel Clip


Who Can I Who Can I ContactContact To Learn More To Learn More

Brian Boyd, NWS – Morristown TNBrian Boyd, NWS – Morristown TN [email protected]@noaa.gov

Jason Elliott, NWS – Huntsville, ALJason Elliott, NWS – Huntsville, AL [email protected]@noaa.gov

James LaRosa, NWS – Nashville, TNJames LaRosa, NWS – Nashville, TN [email protected]@noaa.gov

Gene Rench, NWS – Memphis, TNGene Rench, NWS – Memphis, TN [email protected]@noaa.gov

Dave Reed NWS – LMRFCDave Reed NWS – LMRFC [email protected]@noaa.gov

Ben Weiger, NWS – Southern Region HQBen Weiger, NWS – Southern Region HQ [email protected]@noaa.gov

Diane Cooper, NWS –Southern Region HQDiane Cooper, NWS –Southern Region HQ [email protected]@noaa.gov

Victor Hom, NWS - HQ Victor Hom, NWS - HQ [email protected]@noaa.gov

National Weather Service Flood Inundation Mapping A New Way A New Wayof Looking at Flooding Diane...

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