Flood Inundation Mapping Utility: How Flood Maps Will Directly Benefit Decision Makers During Significant Flood Operations

The concept and development of Flood Inundation Mapping is challenging and complex, and interpreting that complex science into something easily to utilize by a decision maker is perhaps even a bigger challenge. The idea of decision support is not giving the best science to an Emergency Manager, or first responder; it's giving them the best science in a format that they can efficiently make a decision. Flood Inundation Mapping has progressed from research to operations over the past five years, with a focus on utility as well as scientific accuracy. On the operational side, the implementation into a fairly rigid and cultured battle rhythm is a significant hurdle. Adding more information to an ecosystem that has been practiced and executed takes time and confidence, but presenting some of the documented successes from the testing periods of flood mapping will display the transformational leap these maps have for flood response and recovery. The intention of this presentation is to highlight how this service will be provided by the National Weather Service and examples of how it can be utilized by the decision making community.