FLOOD07038

• County: Statewide
• Community: All
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: ASFPM Abstracts, etc. 1994
• Date: 1/1/1994
• Prepared For: ASFPM
• Prepared By: ASFPM
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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USE OF WSR-88D AND SURFACE RAIN GAGE NETWORK DATA
IN ISSUING
FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS AND MAIN STEM FLOOD FORECASTS
OVER OSAGE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, JUNE: 5, 1991

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by

Steven A. Amburn, Science and Operations Officer'
National Weather Service

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Suzanne Fortin, Hydrometeorologisf
National Weather Service

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A series of thunderstorms developed over Osage County, Oklahoma, the morning of June 5,
1991, resulting in flash flooding and eventual main stem flooding along the middle and upper
portions of the Bird Creek drainage basin. Estimates of basin average rainfall were determined,
using the Weather Surveillance Radar-88 Doppler (WSR-88D) near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
and surface observation data. These estimates were used to issue flash flood warnings and
eventual main stem flood forecasts and warnings from the National Weather Service Office and
River Forecast Center, both in Tulsa.

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Although the WSR-88D rainfall estimates were too high, the space Elnd time distribution of the
rainfall was superior to that available solely from surface data. Rain gage reports alone indicated
no flood would occur, while WSR-88D data alone indicated a flood of record, which did not
occur.

This paper will show that proper subjective and objective integration of the WSR-88D rainfall
totals and surface rain gage reports, resulted in accurate short term flood forecasts and warnings,
well before flood waters reached the first river gage below the headwaters. In order to improve
warning accuracy, and therefore emergency response, the integration of radar and rain gage data
was automated at the Arkansas Red Basin River Forecast Center in Tulsa in early 1993.

Steven A. Amburn, Science and Operations Officer, National Weather Service Office, 10159 East 11th
Street, Suite 300, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74128-3050, Tel. [phone]

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Suzanne M. Fortin, Hydrometeorological Analysis and Support ForCC3!~er, Arkansas-Red Basin River
Forecast Center, National Weather Service, 10159 East 11th Street, Suite 300, Tulsa, Oklahoma
74128-3050, Tel. [phone]