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<br />Flood Warning <br /> <br />8& Preparedness <br />by <br />KeW> G. -. Proje<l F.II8iM<< <br />~ ..-........ Program <br /> <br />PredktioD '" Notification <br />The District's Flash Flood <br />Prediction Program (F2P2) issued <br />1l'-"V" on 48 days in 1997 falling <br />three short of last year's record. The <br />number of flash flood watch (Message <br />2) days did, however, set a new record <br />this year at 12 days, two of which (July <br />27 and July 30) resulted in flash flood <br />warnings (Message 3) also being issued <br />in the District Henz Meteorological <br />Services (HMS) provided the weather <br />forecasting for the F2P2 and were <br />responsible for notifying local <br />govermnents of impending floods. <br />As suspected, the October 1, 1996 <br />loss of the FSL Mesonet had an adverse <br />impact on flood forecasting capabilities <br />in 1997 (ref. 1996 Flood Hazt11'Ii News). <br />By mid-July three Boulder County <br />ALERT weather stations had been <br />strategically relocated which, according <br />to HMS forecasters, had a the veJY <br />positive net effect as the Colorado <br />monsoon rains began soon thereafter. <br />One additional Boulder County weather <br />station will be relocated by spring of <br />1998, along with the installation of <br />three new weather stations in Douglas <br />County. The Mesonet Loss lmpact <br />Study draft report, completed early in <br />1997, is being revised to reflect the past <br />year's operational experience and to <br />revisit the reavnD1P.11dations for <br />locating additional weather stations. <br /> <br />ALERT System News <br />The District's ALERT base station <br />logged 5511 modem connections during <br />1997 repre<P.11fing over 1640 hours of <br />remote use and exceeding the previous <br />year's "high-water tIUIIk" of3871 <br />logins. This record-setting nse year is <br />indicative of the 1997 flood season (see <br />cover story). It should be noted that <br />these statistics do not represent totaI <br />system usage since the District Base is <br />one of eight existing base stations. <br />The District provides it's local <br />government partners and certain nther <br />cooperators with free access to the hase <br /> <br />station. In addition to ALERT <br />data displays, a full suite of <br />weather products is also available <br />including watches, warnings and <br />advisories from the National <br />Weather Service; and heavy <br />precipitation outlooks, <br />quantitative precipitation forecasts <br />and internal "'es~age status <br />reports from HMS. <br />Having just completed two <br />years of adjusting to a substantial <br />operating system upgrade along <br />with its associated "improved" <br /><Jpt....1ie management and display <br />software, it is uice to report that <br />system stability has final1y been <br />achieved. In other words, the <br />bugs now appear manageable. <br />More custom reports and graphics <br />tools are available then ever, <br />ITllIking the interpretation of <br />ALERT data more friendly. <br />Also, a new windows-based <br />software package known as <br />STORM Watchâ„¢ is becoming the <br />system of choice for many. The <br />District's ALERT system maintenance <br />contractor, DIAD, Inc. of Lyons, <br />Colorado, is the antbor of this Microsoft <br />AccessTM driven program. The District <br />began running STORM Watch as part <br />of their ALERT base station operations <br />this year, having participated with <br />Boulder County in its initial concept <br />development and testing. This parallel <br />utility provides a veJY nice visual <br />addition to the multiple-PC District <br />Base Station environment as well as <br />providing backup data collection and <br />analysis. <br />ALERT data requests and local <br />government interests continue to fuel <br />demands for Internet access. The <br />District is current1y considering a <br />proposal with the City of Aurora to <br />support a dedicated "Server" for <br />ALERT, making data from the system <br />widely available. <br /> <br />1997 Reeord Flows <br /> <br />Location Peak Date! <br /> (crs) Time <br />Cherry Creek at 3200 July 28 <br />Market St. 20:56 <br />Cherry Creek at 2350 July 28 <br />Steele St 19:47 <br />Cub Creek above 180 June 7 <br />Evel1!leell 18:02 <br />Goldsmith Gu1ch at 2040 July 28 <br />Eastman Ave. 18:26 <br />~~hatUS 510 July 27 <br />Hi 6 N/A <br />No Name Creek at 530 July 28 <br />Ave. 19:07 <br />Sand Creek at 4200 July 29 <br />Briehton Road 02:47 <br />Sand Creek Park 3480 July 29 <br />near 1-225 N/A <br />Toll Gate Creek at 1760 July 30 <br />E. 6th Avenue 19:21 <br />Westerly Creek at 1200 July 19 <br />Montview Blvd. N/A <br /> <br />Record year for breaking gage <br />records <br />During 1997 the ALERT system <br />logged a record number of 53 rainfall <br />rate alarms (1" Ihr amount exceeded) on <br />11 days (May 29; June 6; July <br />19,27,28,30,&31; August 4,5,&11; <br /> <br />22 <br /> <br />September 4). The table 1ists the <br />ALERT stream gages which set new <br />records in 1997. <br />Gages on three detention basins also <br />measured record levels this year: <br />Granby Ditch on East 6th Ave. in <br />Aurora (11.0' on July 30 at 21:47); <br />Holly Dam on Little Dry Creek in <br />Arapahoe County (15.0' on July 31 at <br />17:52); and Slaughterhouse <br />Gulch/Grant Street detention basin in <br />Littleton (S.3' depth on July 31 at <br />16:34). <br />ALERT data is currently available <br />from 130 gaging stations comprising <br />113 rain gages; 62 water level sensors <br />and 8 weather stations. Anyone <br />interested in obtaitting ALERT data <br />from the District may contact Kevin <br />Stewart at 303-455~277. <br /> <br />Our e-mail addreues inc1nde: <br />Scott Tucker lst@udfcd.org <br />Ben Urbonas burbonas@udfcd.org <br />Dave Lloyd dwl@udfcd.org <br />Bill DeGroot bdegroot@udfcd.org <br />Mark Hunter mhunter@udfcd.org <br />Kevin Stewart kstewart@udfcd.org <br />The District udfcd@udfcd.org <br />