Utilizing the Automated Atmospheric River Detection Technique (ARDT) in the Early Discovery of Extreme Flooding Events and Conveying the Flood Threat with Simplistic Imagery

The southern portion of the United States is all too familiar with the devastating effects that extreme flooding events can have on a community. According to the National Centers of Environmental Data, three catastrophic floods took place in 2016 across portions of Texas and Louisiana, including the widespread historic March flooding across northeastern Texas and northern Louisiana, the April 16^th through 18^th Houston flood, and the southern Louisiana flood in August. These floods resulted in over 15 billion dollars in economic losses and almost 30 deaths. There are many tools at the National Weather Service forecasters’ disposal that aid in the detection of extreme flooding potential. However, how easily scientific data translates to the general public is something that should be considered. This presentation will demonstrate how meteorologists can use the Automated River Detection Technique to aid in forecasting significant flooding events as well as how forecasters can convey this threat to the public using a visual medium.