Documentation and Analysis of Flash Flood Prone Streams and Subwatershed Basins in Pulaski County, Virginia

Flash flooding is the number one weather-related killer in the United States. With so many deaths related to this type of severe weather, additional detailed information about local streams and creeks could help forecasters issue more accurate and precise warnings, which could help save lives. Using GIS software, streams within twenty-five feet of a roadway in Pulaski County, Virginia were identified and selected to be surveyed. Field work at each survey point involved measurements to determine the required stream level rise necessary to cause flooding along any nearby roadway(s). Additionally, digital pictures were captured to document the environment upstream and downstream at each survey point. Of the 651 initially-identified survey points, only 319 were considered for this project. The remaining points were either located on private roads or did not exist at the time. Final results and information have been mapped, color-coded, and overlaid in Google Earth for quick access on computers at the National Weather Service Office in Blacksburg, Virginia. Data has also been compiled into an operational handbook and DVD for use at the NWS and at the Office of the Emergency Manager in Pulaski County.