FLOOD01064 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Flood Warnlno and Foracaetino Services The National Oceanic and Atm05pheric Ad~ini5tration (NOAA) Weathor Service provides no s~ecifio flood foreC35tO 1n the Colorado S~ring6 area for trib~tary streams cf the Arkansas Rivar. The technology of acourate river and flood forecasting is dependant upon adequate and timely rainfall ~nd river stage data, and it is even more e5sential that such basic data be available, partioularly retnfall reports, for area5 subject to flash flooding. Current funding restraints prevent Weather Service operation of the rela- tively danee networks required. At present, the principal service the Weather Service Can provide is a genaral alert to tho danger of flash flooding. This iodono bymolJns of ferocaoto of "pproaching storm systems or radar detection of imminent or oocwrring heavy rainfall, The area ia ~ithin the effective range of tha ~SR-57 radar installation at Limon, Colorado. This facility, ~ith ';iBRR_68 (radar facsimile) remoted to the Weatheo Setvice Offices at Denver ~nd Pwsblo, provides continuOWS swrveillance dnd inform~tlon on prc- oipitationintensity, storm location, 1Ondpos3ibleflash flood ing. The IIiBRR-68 h aluu ~cheduled for Colorddo Sp;ing.. The NOAA Weather Service Offioe located at Colorado Spring~ (Peterson Field) suppliss ~edther foracasts four times daily for Colorodo Springs cnd vicinity. Th"ee rOI.'ece~t~ are dis- seminated directly to loc~l ne~s media by limited ~ccese telephone. In addition to the routine forecasts, special fo:ccact~ of ~evcrc storms or flood ~~rnings are iS$wed os required. A co~nunity flosh flood reporting net~ork of riv~r a~d tainfall ~tationG dnd d flood ~arning progr~m developed and operated in ~nnnR~tion ~1th the 24~hour Weather Servioe facilities co~ld minimiz~ los~ of life and movable property in the event of a major flood. Such an arrangement ~owld reQwirB that local river and rain_ fall reports be communicated proll'ptly by reaponaiblelooaloff'i"i als to the Weather Servioe Forec~st Cffioe for ~valu~tinn and ~n11yeis. If available, this data and analyais ~ould be weed by the ~fiather Servi.:e to morc ~~~llr~te]y fQre'J.'ern ~om"'~nicy ropro~~ntati;,.'"s of potent~al s~or, and flood cOnd~tions. flood Fiohtino and Emeroency Evacuation Plana ~roviaion9 for alerting arsa residents ~nd coordinating operations of city and oounty pwblic servioa agenoies in a ti~o of emergency ara presently docu~,ented in the "Colorado Springa/El Paso County Evacuation-Operations Plan (Januaryl967)." Theplen'acon_ oept of operations calls for dissemination of "heavy rain ~arning"" dwrin~ the earliest staq~s of a flood threat. Swbseqwent flood Fighting, evacu~tion, and reecua activitias are ooordinated On a county~ide baeie by the Civii Defense Control Center ~hich ca~ re_ qwest State or federal assistance showld the combined city_county resawrces prove inadequate. " "