Improvements in the São Paulo Flood Warning System (SAISP)

The São Paulo Flood Warning System (SAISP) is always looking forward improving its models, programs and cooperation partnerships. The system which started because the almost catastrophic floods of 1976, with a 5 hydrologic telemetric stations pilot system has grown to 8 streamgauges and 23 raingauges for the São Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA) in 1977. Working together with the Water and Energy Metropolitan Company (EMAE) and the São Paulo State Basic Sanitation (SABESP), this system has increased to 35 streamgauges and 50 raingauges. The Department of Water and Electric Energy of the São Paulo State implemented a similar system for the Piracicaba River Basin which is within the Ponte Nova Weather Radar coverage. That system has 14 stations with streamgauges and raingauges. SAISP also has a lightning detection system and an integrated weather radar images program with the Eletropaulo Metropolitana Energy of São Paulo and the Meteorological System of the Paraná State. SAISP is based on very different computer platforms as the SGI for the weather radar and the OS2 for the telemetric network and the next step is consolidate them in a Linux platform. Many products have been generated for each program and nowadays SAISP team counts on 5 engineers, 1 meteorologist, 9 technicians and 3 trainees.