Weather Research Center – 5104 Caroline St. – Houston, Texas 77004 - 713-529-3076 - Email: wrc@wxresearch.org
Monday, February 27, 2012
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Registration
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Short Courses

Introduction to Storm Surge, the NWS SLOSH Model and SLOSH Based Products. Jamie
Rhome, National Hurricane Center

Flash Flood; Rainfall, Runoff and Hydrologic Response. Matt Kelsch, COMET.

Skywarn Spotter Training and Basic Radar Interpretation. Dan Reilly, Houston/Galveston
National Weather Service.
5:00 pm - 7:30 pm Evening Social/Exhibits Open
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
7:00 am - 3:00 pm
Registration
PLENARY MORNING SESSION
8:00 am - 9:30 am Plenary Session

Welcoming Remarks from Jill Hasling; President, Weather Research Center

Honorary Conference Chair; Harris County Judge Ed Emmett

Mike Talbot; Director, Harris County Flood Control District

Bill Read; Director, National Hurricane Center

Roy Sedwick; Texas Floodplain Management Association
9:30 am - 10:00 am Coffee Break
CONCURRENT MORNING SESSIONS
10:00 am - 11:20 am Concurrent Session A1: Offshore

Update on the Coastal and Inland Flood Observation and Warning (CI-FLOW) System for the
2011 Hurricane Season; Dr. Randall Kolar, University of Oklahoma

Coupled Hurricane Surge and Storm Runoff at the Coastal Interface; Jason Christian, Rice
University

The Vulnerability of Gulf of Mexico Shipyards to Coastal Flooding as a Result of Storm Surge;
James Vavasour and Christopher Bowman, MatthewsDaniel

Recovery Efforts in the Unincorporated Areas of Galveston County Following Hurricane Ike;
Michael Tehrani, Huitt-Zollars Inc.
10:00 am - 11:20 am Concurrent Session A2: ALERT/FWS/Monitoring

Harris County Flood Control District Flood ALERT System NEMA Box Project; Richard
Velasco and Brian Barr, Harris County Flood Control District

Harris County Flood Control District Sensor Reporting and Data Contention Reduction;
Jonathan Cheng , Harris County Flood Control District

A Collaborative Monitoring System in Harris County, Texas; Jeff East, USGS and Rene Mirelas,
Harris County Flood Control District

Modernization of the Harris County Flood Control District Flood Warning System; Donald Van
Wie, Telos Services, Inc.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch provided in Exhibitor Area
CONCURRENT AFTERNOON SESSIONS
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Concurrent Session B1: Case Studies

The Great Southeast Texas Flood of 1994; Duane Barrett, HDR Engineering & Andrew C. Yung,
Dodson and Associates

Causes Behind the Heavy Rainfall Amounts From Tropical Storm Allison; Paul Lewis,
Houston/Galveston National Weather Service

Real-Time Analysis of Hurricane Irene Rainfall Using the Storm Precipitation Analysis System;
Bill Kappel, Applied Weather Associates, LLC

Major Flooding Associated with the Remnants of a Tropical Cyclone - A Case Study of Lee;
Charles Ross, State College National Weather Service

When the Flood Threat is Imminent in the Aftermath of the Fourmile Canyon Fire; Kevin
Stewart, Urban Drainage and Flood Control District

Flooding in the greater Chicago area in a changing climate; Dr. Momcilo Markus, University of
Illinois
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Concurrent Session B2: ALERT/FWS/Monitoring

Monitoring High Hazard Dams; Frank Gutierrez, High Sierra Electronics, Inc.

Development of a Near-Real Time Flood Forecasting System in the San Antonio River Basin;
Wayne Tschirhart, San Antonio River Authority

Iowa Flood Information System; Ibrahim Demir, University of Iowa

CoCoRaHs - Volunteer Precipitation Observations: Providing Valuable Information in Extreme
Rainfall Events; Henry Reges, Colorado State University

Accuracy Achieved in Hydrologic Prediction; Dr. Baxter Vieux, Vieux, Inc.

Jeddah Flood Warning System - Planning for Flood Warning in a desert environment; Andrew
Rooke, AECOM
3:30 pm - 11:00 pm Evening Social - Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (ticketed event)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration
8:00 am - 9:20 am Session C1: Modeling/H&H

An Analysis of Flash Flooding over the Southern Appalachians: Forecasting Methods &
Techniques; Anthony Phillips, Ball State University

Using a High Resolution Local Model to Aid with Forecasting Convection and Heavy Rainfall
across Southeast Texas; Lance Wood, Houston/Galveston National Weather Service

Conflicts in 100-Year Pool Elevations for Addicks and Barker Dams Endanger People and
Property; Lawrence Dunbar Sr., Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Consultant

Utilizing Advanced Modeling for Storm Water Management; Stephen Reiter, Halff Associates
9:20 am - 9:40 am Coffee Break
9:40 am - 11:00 am Session C2: Modeling/H&H

Determination of Stream Flows for Unstudied Watersheds; Fred Liscum, HCFCD

Visualization of the Floods Using Advanced Modeling and Inundation Mapping; Ataul Hannan,
HCFCD

Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling in the Clear Creek Watershed; Heather Winter, Rice
University

Distributed Hydrologic Model of The Woodlands, Texas: Representing Hydrologic Effects of
Low Impact Development; George Doubleday, Rice University
11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Conference Luncheon
Speaker Joseph Bruno, Director of Emergency Management, New York City – Hurricane Irene
Preparation for New York City
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Session C3: Public Awareness/Mitigation

Moving Toward A Weather Ready Nation; David Vallee, Northeast River Forecast Center

An Overview of Decision Support Services Provided During The Historic Floods of 2011; John
Feldt, Southeast River Forecast Center

Integrated Hazard Information Services -- Phase 1 -- Forecasted Tools for Issuing Hydrologic
Hazards in AWIPS II; Bryon Lawrence, NOAA

U.S. National Weather Service Inland Flood Prediction and Warning Services: Status and Plans;
Edward Clark, National Weather Service Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services

A National Voice: How the National Hydrologic Warning Council Services us all; Steve
Fitzgerald, Harris County Flood Control District

SSPEED Center Update for 2012; Philip B. Bedient, Rice University
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Coffee Break
3:30 pm - 4:50 pm Session C4: Public Awareness/Mitigation

A Water Web Services HUB to Support Situational Awareness during Flood Events; Fernando
Salas, University of Texas

Missing Ingredient: High-water mark inventory for Texas; Melinda Luna, TWBD/TNRIS

Westside Creeks Restoration - Adding Flood Mitigation goals to an Ecosystem Restoration
Project; Andrew Rooke, AECOM

A Simplified Method of Implementing No Rise Analysis in Unnumbered A-Zones Based Upon
No Loss of Conveyance; Dr. Dwayne Culp, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.
5:00 pm - 7:30 pm Evening Social
Thursday, March 1, 2012
8:00 am - 10:00 am Session D1: Public Awareness/Mitigation

Application of data mining in short-term discharge and water quality forecasting; Dr. Momcilo
Markus, University of Illinois

Weather Related Flooding - Unique Emergency Preparedness and Response; Russell Kaiser,
Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council

Flood Protection Planning for UT Medical Branch in Galveston; Charles Penland, Walter P.
Moore & Associates

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Planning Activities in Reducing Flood Losses: A National Study;
Dr. Wes Highfield, Texas A&M University at Galveston

Successful Outreach and Public Involvement Program in Pasadena, Texas; Dr. Daya
Dayananda, City of Pasadena

Serving the Citizens of Harris County; Before, During and After a Flood; Jeff Lindner, HCFCD
& Dave Schwertz, Houston/Galveston National Weather Service
10:00 am - 10:30 am Coffee Break
10:30 am - 12:00 pm Closing Plenary Session

Examining Hurricane Irene's Hydrometeorological Impacts on the Northeast United States – A
Northeast River Forecast Center Perspective; David Vallee, Northeast River Forecast Center

Metro Nashville – Recovering from the historic flood of May 2010; Bradley Heilwagen, AMEC

Lessons Learned by the USGS Tennessee Water Science Center during 2010 and 2011 Floods;
Shannon Williams, USGS

Closing Remarks from Jill Hasling; President, Weather Research Center
12:00 pm Conference Adjourns