A Summary of Flood Inundation Mapping Efforts at the Central Pennsylvania National Weather Service Forecast Office

During fiscal year (FY) 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022 through Sep. 30, 2023), the NOAA/NWS embarked on a multi-faceted effort to provide Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) services as part of its core mission to protect lives and property. In the initial phase, substantial training and outreach efforts were directed towards National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Offices and River Forecast Centers in the northeastern and south-central states. Among the targeted northeastern offices was the Central PA NWS Forecast Office (CTP).

Between December 2022 and May 2023, CTP executed an extensive outreach campaign to introduce and advertise the upcoming FIM services to deep-core partners, primarily the emergency management (EM) community at county and state levels. The Senior Service Hydrologist and the Warning Coordination Meteorologist conducted site visits to 33 different counties in central and northwestern PA, as well as at the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Since terrain and flood vulnerabilities vary considerably across this region, a tailored informational packet was provided at each of these visits, containing historical data customized for each county. The historical data provided officials with an idea of what FIM products could look like in their respective areas. Emphasis was placed on the experimental nature of FIM services and datasets, with assurances that CTP will be available to assist EM personnel in interpretation and learning over time.

Significant efforts were also directed towards internal staff training. A small group of subject matter experts (SME) were identified at each of the 10% FIM NWS offices to attend a workshop at the National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, AL in November 2022. The objective of the workshop was to learn the more advanced technical aspects of FIM products and services. The Senior Service Hydrologist and Science and Operations Officer represented NWS CTP as SMEs. The CTP SMEs provided training modules to the staff in January 2023 and then one-on-one deskside training through early summer. The training consisted of a simulated exercise designed to teach meteorologists about the different FIM libraries, and how information could be communicated to external partners during a high-impact IDSS scenario.

As FIM products become publicly available in FY24, CTP will continue collaborating with and educating external partners. Internal staff training will also continue, with a particular focus on integrating FIM products and services into operations. The CTP SMEs are working through initial coordination for tabletop exercises with some targeted county and state-level groups.