11B.1 Operational Applications of Suomi-NPP VIIRS Satellite-Based Flood Mapping (Invited Presentation)

Thursday, 11 January 2018: 10:30 AM
Room 18B (ACC) (Austin, Texas)
Michael M. DeWeese, NOAA/NWS, Chanhassen, MN; and S. Li and J. P. Hoffman

Flooding is one of the most costly and deadly natural disasters in the United States, resulting in more fatalities than any other disaster type in 2016. The National Weather Service River Forecast Centers are charged with providing river forecast information for the nation, from flooding to drought. Beginning in 2014, the North Central River Forecast Center has utilized satellite information from the experimental VIIRS Flood Inundation products to monitor flooding over large areas. Results have proven this information to be reliable, providing a valuable new information source that can be used for flood detection and forecasting. This data is especially useful in remote regions where no other observed data source is available. Examples are provided to demonstrate the operational contributions of this product for snowmelt and ice jam flooding events commonly experienced in the northern plains, as well as major flooding from rainfall in the Mississippi River basin.
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