Texas has experienced some of the largest rainfall and flood events in the United States. Heavy flooding during the rainy season causes extensive property damage and loss of human life. [1]
Real-time data processing and flood forecasting can play a vital role in minimizing such damages. However, in order to forecast these conditions it is necessary to first obtain reliable rainfall data. Rain gage networks are generally sparse and insufficient to capture the spatial variability across a single watershed, let alone the entire state. These networks are also limited in providing the real-time data necessary for flood studies. The use of data from weather radar systems as an input to runoff estimation calculations, such as the NRCS- Curve Number Method, would help alleviate these problems.
The objective of this research is to develop near real-time runoff maps for Texas using precipitation data from the NEXRAD radar rainfall network. This will provide information useful for flood mitigation, reservoir operation, and watershed and water resource management practices.
[1] Source: Smith, J. A., M. L. Baeck, J. E. Morrison, and P. Sturdevant-Rees, 2000. Catastrophic Rainfall and Flooding in Texas. Journal of Hydrometeorology. American Meteorological Society. 1:5-25.
This product is currently under development.