Early Warning System Active
Once the smoke clears from a wildfire, the danger is not over!! Other hazards, such as flash floods and debris flows, now become the focus. Areas recently burned by wildfires are particularly susceptible to flash floods and debris flows during rainstorms.
Just a short period of moderate rainfall on a burn scar can lead to flash floods and debris flows. Rainfall that is normally absorbed by vegetation can run off almost instantly. This causes creeks and drainage areas to flood much sooner during a storm, and with more water, than normal. Additionally, the soils in a burn scar are highly erodible so flood waters can contain significant amounts of mud, boulders, and vegetation. The powerful force of rushing water, soil, and rock, both within the burned area and downstream, can destroy culverts, bridges, roadways, and structures, and can cause injury or death if care is not taken.
About the Warning System
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have established a demonstration flash-flood and debris-flow early-warning system for recently burned areas in southern California. The demonstration project covers eight counties within Southern California and utilizes the National Weather Service's (NWS) Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction (FFMP) system. FFMP identifies when both flash floods and debris flows are likely to occur based on comparisons between radar precipitation estimates and established rainfall intensity-duration threshold values. Beginning in autumn 2005, advisory Outlooks, Watches, and Warnings are disseminated to emergency management personnel through the NWS Advanced Weather Information Processing System.
Additional Resources
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Postfire debris-flow hazards
Below are publications associated with this project.
NOAA-USGS Debris-Flow Warning System - Final Report
- Overview
Once the smoke clears from a wildfire, the danger is not over!! Other hazards, such as flash floods and debris flows, now become the focus. Areas recently burned by wildfires are particularly susceptible to flash floods and debris flows during rainstorms.
Just a short period of moderate rainfall on a burn scar can lead to flash floods and debris flows. Rainfall that is normally absorbed by vegetation can run off almost instantly. This causes creeks and drainage areas to flood much sooner during a storm, and with more water, than normal. Additionally, the soils in a burn scar are highly erodible so flood waters can contain significant amounts of mud, boulders, and vegetation. The powerful force of rushing water, soil, and rock, both within the burned area and downstream, can destroy culverts, bridges, roadways, and structures, and can cause injury or death if care is not taken.
About the Warning System
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have established a demonstration flash-flood and debris-flow early-warning system for recently burned areas in southern California. The demonstration project covers eight counties within Southern California and utilizes the National Weather Service's (NWS) Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction (FFMP) system. FFMP identifies when both flash floods and debris flows are likely to occur based on comparisons between radar precipitation estimates and established rainfall intensity-duration threshold values. Beginning in autumn 2005, advisory Outlooks, Watches, and Warnings are disseminated to emergency management personnel through the NWS Advanced Weather Information Processing System.
Additional Resources
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Postfire debris-flow hazards
Estimates of the probability and volume of debris flows that may be produced by a storm in a recently burned area, using a model with characteristics related to basin shape, burn severity, soil properties, and rainfall. Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. The USGS... - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
NOAA-USGS Debris-Flow Warning System - Final Report
Landslides and debris flows cause loss of life and millions of dollars in property damage annually in the United States (National Research Council, 2004). In an effort to reduce loss of life by debris flows, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operated an experimental debris-flow prediction and warning syAuthors