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<br />Flood Warninq and Forecastinq Services <br /> <br /> <br />The Environmental Science Services Administration <br /> <br /> <br />(ESSA) Weather Bureau provides no specific flood forecasts for <br /> <br /> <br />Fountain Creek. The technology of accurate river and flood fore- <br /> <br /> <br />casting is dependent upon adequate and timely rainfall and river <br /> <br /> <br />stage data, and it is even more essential that such basic data be <br /> <br /> <br />available, particularly rainfall reports, for areas subject to <br /> <br /> <br />flash flooding. Current funding restraints prevent Weather Bureau <br /> <br /> <br />operation of the relatively dense networks required. At present, <br /> <br /> <br />the principal service the Weather Bureau can provide is a general <br /> <br />alert to the danger of flash flooding on fountain Creek. This is <br /> <br /> <br />done by means of forecasts of approaching storm systems or radar <br /> <br /> <br />detection of imminent or occurring heavy rainfall. The capability <br /> <br /> <br />of the existing radar at Pueblo is limited to storm detection and <br /> <br /> <br />tracking. Until this facility is improved, the evaluation of <br /> <br /> <br />rainfall potential, ,accumulation, and intensity must depend upon <br /> <br /> <br />immediate reports from on-the-spot observers. <br /> <br />The ESSA Weather Bureau located at the Pueblo memorial <br /> <br /> <br />Airport supplies weather forecasts four times daily for Pueblo, <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado, and vicinity. These forecasts are disseminated to local <br /> <br /> <br />news media directly by limited access telephone. A similar--but <br /> <br /> <br />separate--installation is used for general public dissemination. <br /> <br /> <br />In addition to the routine forecasts, special forecasts of severe <br /> <br /> <br />storms or flood warnings are issued as required. <br /> <br /> <br />A community flash flood reporting network of river <br /> <br /> <br />and rainfall stations and a flood warning program developed and <br /> <br /> <br />operated in connection with the 24-hour Weather Bureau facilities <br /> <br /> <br />could minimize loss of life and movable property in the event of <br /> <br /> <br />a major flood. Such an arrangement would require that local river <br /> <br /> <br />and rainfall reports be communicated promptly by responsible local <br /> <br /> <br />officials to the Weather Bureau Forecast Office for evaluation and <br /> <br /> <br />analysis. If available, this data and analysis would be used by <br /> <br /> <br />the Weat,her Bureau to more accurately, forewarn community repre- <br /> <br /> <br />sentatives of potential storm and flood conditions. This type of <br /> <br />10 <br />