Mapping NWS Flood Forecasts

Flood forecasts by the National Weather Service are made for storms days in advance of the actual flooding. These forecasts estimate the highest level the river will reach, based mainly on how much rain is expected from the storm. These flood forecasts are made only for specific sites on a river, so a method was developed by the USGS to extend the National Weather Service flood forecasts over an affected area, draw a map of inundated areas, and serve the maps over the Web. The USGS flood-mapping method is described in the following publications:

U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2004-3060--Mapping a Flood...Before It Happens

U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4251--Near- Real-Time Simulation and Internet-Based Delivery of Forecast-Flood Inundation Maps Using Two-Dimensional Hydraulic Modeling--A Pilot Study for the Snoqualmie River, Washington

U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey, Tacoma, WA, USA
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Last modification: Tuesday, 22-Jan-2008 16:46:23 EST