Community Steps to Getting
Inundation Mapping:
An Overview of
NOAA NWS Flood Mapping Process
presented at
Eastern Region Flash Flood
Conference
Victor Hom
Office of Climate Water Weather
Services
Hydrologic Services Division
June 4, 2010
1
Inundation Mapping
Plenary Objectives
Provide NWS Community, Stakeholder,
and Partners a better understanding of:
• NWS AHPS Flood Mapping Website
• NOAA’s Integrated Water Forecasting
Program
• NOAA NWS AHPS Flood Mapping
Process
2
Integrated Water
Forecasting Program
NOAA’s Role: Provide accurate and reliable water forecasts
(where, when, and how much)
Rivers and Floods
Coasts, Lakes and Estuaries
Water Resources
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
Coast, Estuary, River
Information Services
Integrated Water
Resources Science and
Services
Community Hydrologic Prediction System (CHPS)
Objective 1
Reduce 1-7 day river
forecast errors and
quantify uncertainty
Objective 3
Objective 4
Couple modeling
systems for rivers,
lakes and estuaries
Deliver seamless, high
resolution water
quantity and quality
forecasts
Objective 2
Objective 5
Provide flood
inundation forecast
maps for high-impact
communities
Advance and integrate
observing systems to
improve QPE and QPF
3
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
AHPS Goals
Enhance flood warning information and modernize services
through infusion of new science and technology
• Flash-flood to seasonal
freshwater forecasts
• Quantification of forecast
certainty
• More accurate and timely
forecasts and warnings
• Partnered flood-forecast area
mapping
• Visually-oriented products
Provide consistent access to
standardized graphics via web
interface
4
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
Probabilistic information to support risk-based decisions
• Seamless short- to long-term Hydrologic Ensemble
Forecast Service (HEFS) within CHPS
• Incorporates both
atmospheric and
hydrologic uncertainties
Implementation Status
 Demonstrating components of
short-term capability at 6 RFCs
 Will deploy additional prototypes during
the next 2 years
 Initial version of full capability in 2013
5
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
Temporal, Geospatial, and Situational
Awareness
03/29/2008 1:00 PM CDT
NOAA NWS
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
Water Predictions For Life Decisions
6
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
Uncertainty, Geospatial, and Situational
Awareness
03/29/2008 1:00 PM CDT
NOAA NWS
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
Water Predictions For Life Decisions
7
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
Mapping and Visualization
 visualization of the “extent” of flooding and the
items impacted at current time (left graphic) and
possible flooding scenario at a future time (right
graphic)

NOAA NWS
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
Water Predictions For Life Decisions
8
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
Data Assessment

Transparency of Modeling Parameters
NOAA NWS
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
Water Predictions For Life Decisions
9
Advanced Hydrologic
Prediction Service
Contingency Event Planning
 Geographic representation of current and
possible future flooding scenarios.
 Flood inundation
referenced to potential
loss estimates.
NOAA NWS
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
Water Predictions For Life Decisions
10
Flood Mapping to Enable
Decision Support
Building Partnerships and Collaboration
 FEMA RISK Mapping
Stakeholder
Collaboration
Assessment Planning (MAP)
Strategies.
 Advanced Hydrologic
Information
Sharing and Trust
Prediction Service (AHPS)
Community Hydrologic
Prediction Service (CHPS)
Decision
Support
 Integrated Water Resource
Science and Services (IWRSS)
 Coastal, Estuary, River
Information Services (CERIS)
USACE Silver Jackets
NOAA NWS
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
Water Predictions For Life Decisions
11
AHPS Flood Mapping
12
Local and Regional Coordination
NWS Partners, please contact local Service Hydrologist.
Local Service Hydrologist will coordinate with respective
Regional Flood Mapping Coordinator for additional guidance.
• Eastern Region
• Southern Region
Hydrologic Services Division Hydrologic Services Branch
Laurie Hogan
Ben Weiger
• Western Region
Hydrology and Climate
Services Division
Jeff Zimmerman
Integrated Services Division
Wendy Pearson
• Central Region
Scientific Services Division
Kris Lander
12
AHPS Flood Mapping Process
Four Phases
Phase I
PLANNING
NWS QA
Phase II
ENGINEERING &
ANALYSIS
QC
Phase III
IMPLEMENTATION
13
Phase IV
OPERATION &
MAINTENANCE
QC
NWS,
Partners,
NWS,
Partners
NWS,
AHPS
AHPS
Partners,
Contractor
Contractor
and/or
NWS &
NWS &
Contractor
Partners
Partners
NWS, Partners, NWS, Partners,
and/or
and/or
Contractor
Contractor
For more detail about the phases, see OCWWS External FTP Server
http://apps.weather.gov/tempdocuments_ext/FIM_Process_Overview.ppt
13
Flood Mapping Process
Site Selection
and Evaluation
Obtain Base GIS
Data
14
Determine Appropriate
Inundation Elevations
Obtain
Hydraulic
Models
Verify Channel
Geometry
Verify Flows
Run Model
Inundation
Polygons/Rasters
File
Management
NOTES:
• Yellow Boxes involve Phase 1
Activities in Planning/ Scoping
• Green Boxes are Phase 2
Activities in H&H/Geospatial
Analyses
Deliverables to
NOAA
14
15
AHPS Flood Mapping Project
From Deliverables to End-Product
15
16
QA/QC Process
Phase 2 QA/QC
Iterate with
Contractor (fix
Deliver to Orion
errors)
Post on
Development
Site
Phase 3 QA/QC
Field
Verification
Complete
Phase 3 QA/QC
Resend to
Orion
Iterate with
Contractor/Field
(fix errors)
Post on AHPS
NOTES:
• Green Boxes are Phase 2
Activities in Hydrology, Hydraulics,
Geospatial Analyses
• Blue Boxes involve Phase 3
AHPS Implementation
Announcement
of Service
16
AHPS Flood Mapping
17
Regional QAQC Resources
Regional Flood Mapping Coordinator will coordinate with
regional resources to carry-out Phase 2 QC.
•
Eastern Region
•
Laurie Hogan
Raymond Davis
William Saunders
•
Central Region
Kris Lander
Darrin Hansing
Rick Sloan
Southern Region
Mike Shultz
Janet McCormick
Katelyn Costanza
Mark Love
•
Western Region
Dave Streubel
Alan Haynes
Jay Breidenbach
Jayme Laber
Regional Flood Mapping Coordinator will coordinate
* Guest from with
USGS
respective NWS Service Hydrologist and RFC for Phase 3 QC.
17
AHPS Flood Mapping Process18
Project Chart Expanded
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Teams
and
Special
Roles
Activities
in the
form of
tasks
and
deliverables
Please see the document:
http://apps.weather.gov/tempdocuments_ext/
NWS_FIM_QAQC_Plan_FY09Q4_FINAL_NWS.pdf
18
NOAA NWS Inundation
Mapping
… working with partners and stakeholders
to improve decision support and the
communications of flood risk
19
Additional Supporting Slides
• Integrated Water Resources Science and
Services
• Version 3 of NOAA Flood Mapping
Guidelines to include Guidance on
Levees and Bridges
• Future Enhancements
• Pilot Project Opportunities
20
Collaborating for a
Sustainable Water Future
• Comprehensive national stakeholder needs assessment included
50 states and 12 Federal agencies (2009)
• Revealed broad need for a Federal Tool Box for water resources
12 Assessment Agencies:
• National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
• U.S. Forest Service
• Natural Resources Conservation
Service
• Army Corps of Engineers
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Federal Emergency Management
Agency
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• National Park Service
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Tennessee Valley Authority
Primary Roles:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prediction
Monitoring
Science
Management
Conservation
Regulation
Protection
Mitigation
Restoration
Response
Recovery
21
Integrated Water Resources
Science and Services
The Toolbox
• NOAA is leading the multiagency IWRSS consortium to:
– Prototype the Federal Tool Box
for water resources
– Streamline access to Federal
water resource capabilities
– Share technology, information,
models, best practices
– Develop interoperable tools
Benefits
– Create a Common Operating
Picture
Data and
Information
Water
Managemen
t
Planning
and Policy
NOAA USACE
USGS
22
Resolving Issues: Levees
•The NWS suggests the use of a “simple exceedance criteria” to determine the mapping level
beyond which inundation is shown in the landward protected area.
•The NWS suggests the proposed modeling procedure outlined below be used for utilizing
different model geometries to remove a particular levee whenever the modeled water surface
exceeds one or more inflection points, with the following considerations:
o Once a levee is overtopped, areas landward of the levee inflection points should be
modeled as permanent ineffective flow areas. This will allow storage, but eliminate
floodplain conveyance in areas effectively blocked by levees.
o During high flows, once a levee is overtopped and areas behind the levee overfilled,
engineering judgment should be used to ensure conveyance above this blocked area
is hydraulically consistent between impacted cross sections in the model.
o In the event that multiple levee protection areas are present on one side of the river,
each levee should be mapped independently.
•The area represented by the 500 year floodplain should be shown as the Levee Failure Risk
Area behind an overtopped levee. A separate shapefile outlining this area should be delivered
in addition to the static inundation library. If the 500 year floodplain is undefined for the study
area, it is recommended that the Levee Failure Risk Area utilize either a) the inundation area
representing 125% of the record flood flow or b) the area inundated by the highest computed
profile in the library.
23
Resolving Issues: Levees
24
Once the
appropriate model is
chosen, a mapping
criteria needs to be
employed.
It is requested that
for any water
surface that
overtops the levee,
the area inundated
by the highest
calculated elevation
should be shown as
a “Levee Failure
Risk Area.”
24
Resolving Issues: Bridges
25
NOTE: Inundation libraries show
bridges as inundated because
bare earth DEM was used for
mapping (bridges removed)
To fix this, either:
1.) Burn bridges back into DEM
(using top deck elevations from
model or DOT)
2.) Clip inundation polygons and
depth grids
Cheapest/Fastest Option WGRFC and LMRFC have developed
1.) Create Clipping Polygon step by step methods that can be shared
2.) Clip Inundation Polygons -Frank Bell
-David Welch
3.) Clip Depth Grid
25
AHPS Flood Mapping
26
Core Goals Team
•
NWS Eastern Region
•
Hydrologic Services Division
Laurie Hogan
•
NWS Central Region
Scientific Services Division
Kris Lander
Integrated Services Division
Wendy Pearson
•
NOS
Coastal Services Center
Doug Marcy
NWS Southern Region
West Gulf RFC
Frank Bell
•
NWS Western Region
WFO Boise ID
Jay Breidenbach
•
NWS Headquarters
Hydrologic Science & Modeling Branch
Seann Reed
Hydrologic Services Branch
Victor Hom*
*Team Lead
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ohd/rfcdev/projects/rfcHP10_chart.html
26
AHPS Flood Mapping
27
Core Goals Team FY10 Workplan
Task #1: AHPS Flood Mapping Web Portal and Display
Subtask 1-1:
Subtask 1-2:
AHPS Web Portal for Bridges
AHPS Web Portal for Levees and Flood Risk Areas
Task #2: Quality Assurance and Consistency of Regional Flood Maps
Subtask 2-1:
Quality Assurance and Phase 2 Quality Control Training
Workshop
Task #3: National Flood Inundation Mapping Guidelines and
Program Standards
Subtask 3-1:
Subtask 3-2:
Federal Guidelines and Statement of Work Templates
Partnered Program/Project Management Support Tool
Task #4: Regional Flood Mapping Development ….
Task #5: Maintenance/Servicing Maps ….
27
AHPS Flood Mapping
28
Pilot Project Opportunities
NOAA National Ocean Services and
NWS NSSL
NowCoast GIS Web Portal
Demonstration for AHPS Flood
Inundation Mapping & CI-FLows
locations (http://nowcoast.noaa.gov)
Demonstration of Coastal Flood Impacts
on NOAA COOPS Web Interface
(http://tideandcurrents.noaa.gov)
NOAA AHPS Phase 7 and Beyond
Enhancements
Extend Google Map API Capability for
Flood Impacts
Extend Google Map Capabilities for
AHPS Flood Inundation Mapping
28