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<br />003203 <br /> <br />HANDAR ALERT AUl'C'MATIC FL()(J) WARNING SYSTEM <br /> <br />Suamary <br /> <br />The HANDAR Alert Automatic Flood Warning System (AFWS) provides <br />communities with advance warning of potential flooding based on in- <br />stantaneous (real-tim.,) measurements of rainfall and water levels in <br />stream, creeks, rivers, and other bodies of water. Several hours of <br />advance warning of impending floods can be used to prevent estensive <br />property damage. Even minutes of advance warning can save lives. <br /> <br />Other pertinent weather data, such as wind speed, wind direction, <br />temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure can also be <br />obrained at the same time. This weather dara can be effectively used <br />duting summer months to forecast possible fire danger conditions due <br />to high temperature, low humidity, etc. <br /> <br />Floods are the largest natural disaster phenomenon in the world. <br />In the United States they account for about ZOO lives lost each year <br />and damages totaling /15 billion each year. Thousands of communities. <br />are affected and more than 300,000 people must be evacuated each year <br />ftom their homes. Automatic Flood Warning Systems are being used <br />extensively throughout the United States and the rest of the world. <br />Almost half of the states in the United States have communities with <br />one or more automatic flood warning systems. <br /> <br />\ <br />\ <br />I <br /> <br />The systcm consists of three basic components as shown in Figure <br /> <br />1 : <br /> <br />1. A number of remote sites collecting rainfall, warer level, <br />and other weather data and transmitting it by VHF or UHF <br />line-of sight radio. <br /> <br />Z. One or more optional repeatets to extend the range between <br />the remote sites and the base station. The repeater consists <br />of a receiver and transmitter at a site whose elevation <br />provides a line-oi-sight between the remote data collection <br />sites and the Base Sration. <br /> <br />3. The Base Station, which includes a radio receiver and an IBM <br />PC XT computer or compatible. A software package provides <br />the ability to configure the system and concurrently collect, <br />store, process, and display the data. <br /> <br />Data is transmitted to the Base Sration by VHF or LHF line-of- <br />sight radio directly or through optional repeaters rhat can be used to <br />extend communications range. Radio communications are quite reliable <br />even during heavy rainstorms. Data acquisition systems acquiring data <br />through relephone lines arc many times inoperative due to downed <br />telephone lines or flooded cables. <br /> <br />1 <br />