IWRSS Dam FailureIWRSS Dam Failure

CollaborationCollaboration

Victor HomVictor Hom

Hydrologic Services DivisionHydrologic Services DivisionOffice of Climate, Water and WeatherOffice of Climate, Water and Weather

NOAA’s National Weather ServiceNOAA’s National Weather Service

National HIC Meeting National HIC Meeting July 8-10, 2009July 8-10, 2009

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NOAA National Weather ServiceNOAA National Weather ServiceOCWWS HSD Dam Safety EffortsOCWWS HSD Dam Safety Efforts

Since October 2008, OCWWS HSD have been actively re-promoting NWS Dam Emergency Warning Services to Federal Partners at the following National Meetings:

• FEMA-led Interagency Coordination of Dam Safety (ICODS) • FEMA-led National Dam Safety Review Board (NDSRB) • FERC-led NDSRB Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Workgroup • Emergency Management Institute of National Dam Safety Technical Seminar #16• DHS-led Dam Sector Government Coordinating Council• ASFPM Dam Work Group

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National Weather Service in Action National Weather Service in Action Dam Break CoordinationDam Break Coordination

NWS Key PlayerNWS Key Player

www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/damfailure/publications.shtm

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National Weather Service in ActionNational Weather Service in Action

Flash Flood Services • The NWS is the sole federal agency authorized to issue flood and flash flood warnings.

• Flash flood services are described in NWSI 10-921 and defined in 10-922

• Dual Polarization project to improve precipitation estimation.

• High Resolution Precipitation Estimator (~1x1 km)

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/010/010.htmhttp://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/010/010.htm

• Gridded FFG and FFPI

• Distributed Modeling at flash flood scale

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NWS Instruction 10-921 Pertaining to dam emergencies, the responding Weather Forecast Office (WFO) shall:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/010/010.htmhttp://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/010/010.htm

National Weather Service in Action National Weather Service in Action Dam Break CoordinationDam Break Coordination

1) confirm report,2) issue the appropriate initial product 3) make contact,4) issue follow-up product, and5) issue flood warnings for lower reach (if needed).

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NOAA National Weather ServiceNOAA National Weather ServiceOCWWS HSD Dam Safety EffortsOCWWS HSD Dam Safety Efforts

During FY09 Q2, NWS submittedtwo proposal for consideration of ICODS funding, as part of theNDSRB Dam Safety Research:

Improved Guidance for NWS Dam Break Forecasting OHD and OCWWS Proposal Fekadu Moreda, Seann Reed, Ernie Wells, Victor Hom

Integration of Dam Operations, Emergency Management, and Warning Services – An Interoperable System for Rapid Response Dambreak/Flood ModelingNOAA AND USACE Proposal Don Cline, Victor Hom, John Hunter, Jerry Webb

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NWS Collaboration with FEMA, USACE, and USGS

Integrated Water Resources Science and Services Strengthen the Collaboration during dam failures:

•Transparent transfer of model data and modeling capabilities.

•Improve rapid response to dam failures.

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IWRSS Dam Failure CollaborationIWRSS Dam Failure Collaboration

Scope of the Project:

NWS and USACE will develop and demonstrate a common operating environment to facilitate information sharing, modeling and communication related to dambreak situations.

The demonstration will focus on several large USACE-owned dams to develop, implement and test the new capabilities. The work will be conducted in a manner that facilitates future extension to dams owned by others and to other regions.

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IWRSS Dam Failure CollaborationIWRSS Dam Failure Collaboration

Scope of the Project: (continued)

… establishing system-level linkages between the principal systems used by USACE and NWS for reservoir management operations, dambreak analyses, river and flood forecasting operations, and the generation of watches and warnings.

… implementing within NWS the modeling tools and other capabilities necessary to internally execute USACE-prepared dambreak models, perform simulations, and test scenarios, to visualize the dambreak model results, and communicate these results to others.

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IWRSS Dam Failure CollaborationIWRSS Dam Failure Collaboration

Timeline:

1.1. In May 2009, FEMA approved the In May 2009, FEMA approved the NOAA-USACE Proposal NOAA-USACE Proposal

2.2. In June 2009, FEMA asked for a In June 2009, FEMA asked for a detailed project plan.detailed project plan.

3.3. In July 2009, OCWWS will be In July 2009, OCWWS will be developing FEMA MOU for NOAA developing FEMA MOU for NOAA servicesservices

4.4. In Sep 2009, NOAA and USACE will In Sep 2009, NOAA and USACE will evaluate candidate locations to evaluate candidate locations to develop this interoperabilitydevelop this interoperability

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IWRSS Dam Failure CollaborationIWRSS Dam Failure Collaboration

Initial Thoughts

1.1. Use the ICODS funds and leverage Use the ICODS funds and leverage with other USACE Dam Breach with other USACE Dam Breach proposed activities.proposed activities.

2.2. Consider locations where USACE and Consider locations where USACE and RFCs have strong collaboration in RFCs have strong collaboration in data transfers, coordination, and data transfers, coordination, and modelling capabilities.modelling capabilities.

3.3. Coordinate with DHS on testing this Coordinate with DHS on testing this capability such as DES exercise.capability such as DES exercise.

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IWRSS Dam Failure CollaborationIWRSS Dam Failure Collaboration

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?Questions? Comments? Suggestions?