scholarly journals Mapping Flash Flood Severity in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 397-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manabendra Saharia ◽  
Pierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter ◽  
Humberto Vergara ◽  
Jonathan J. Gourley ◽  
Yang Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Flash Flood ◽  
The United States ◽  
Flash Flooding ◽  
Fast Onset ◽  
Multidisciplinary Nature ◽  
Flooding Events ◽  
Gauged Basins

Abstract Flash floods, a subset of floods, are a particularly damaging natural hazard worldwide because of their multidisciplinary nature, difficulty in forecasting, and fast onset that limits emergency responses. In this study, a new variable called “flashiness” is introduced as a measure of flood severity. This work utilizes a representative and long archive of flooding events spanning 78 years to map flash flood severity, as quantified by the flashiness variable. Flood severity is then modeled as a function of a large number of geomorphological and climatological variables, which is then used to extend and regionalize the flashiness variable from gauged basins to a high-resolution grid covering the conterminous United States. Six flash flood “hotspots” are identified and additional analysis is presented on the seasonality of flash flooding. The findings from this study are then compared to other related datasets in the United States, including National Weather Service storm reports and a historical flood fatalities database.

scholarly journals A Unified Flash Flood Database across the United States

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan J. Gourley ◽  
Yang Hong ◽  
Zachary L. Flamig ◽  
Ami Arthur ◽  
Robert Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Flash Flood ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Flash Flooding ◽  
Regional Trends ◽  
Spatiotemporal Behavior ◽  
Flood Database ◽  
Flooding Events

Despite flash flooding being one of the most deadly and costly weather-related natural hazards worldwide, individual datasets to characterize them in the United States are hampered by limited documentation and can be difficult to access. This study is the first of its kind to assemble, reprocess, describe, and disseminate a georeferenced U.S. database providing a long-term, detailed characterization of flash flooding in terms of spatiotemporal behavior and specificity of impacts. The database is composed of three primary sources: 1) the entire archive of automated discharge observations from the U.S. Geological Survey that has been reprocessed to describe individual flooding events, 2) flash-flooding reports collected by the National Weather Service from 2006 to the present, and 3) witness reports obtained directly from the public in the Severe Hazards Analysis and Verification Experiment during the summers 2008–10. Each observational data source has limitations; a major asset of the unified flash flood database is its collation of relevant information from a variety of sources that is now readily available to the community in common formats. It is anticipated that this database will be used for many diverse purposes, such as evaluating tools to predict flash flooding, characterizing seasonal and regional trends, and improving understanding of dominant flood-producing processes. We envision the initiation of this community database effort will attract and encompass future datasets.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Tools Used for Monitoring and Forecasting Flash Floods in the United States

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan J. Gourley ◽  
Jessica M. Erlingis ◽  
Yang Hong ◽  
Ernest B. Wells
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Flash Flood ◽  
The United States ◽  
Flash Floods ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Flash Flooding ◽  
Flood Prediction ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Monitoring And Forecasting ◽  
First Time

Abstract This paper evaluates, for the first time, flash-flood guidance (FFG) values and recently developed gridded FFG (GFFG) used by the National Weather Service (NWS) to monitor and predict imminent flash flooding, which is the leading storm-related cause of death in the United States. It is envisioned that results from this study will be used 1) to establish benchmark performance of existing operational flash-flood prediction tools and 2) to provide information to NWS forecasters that reveals how the existing tools can be readily optimized. Sources used to evaluate the products include official reports of flash floods from the NWS Storm Data database, discharge measurements on small basins available from the U.S. Geological Survey, and witness reports of flash flooding collected during the Severe Hazards Analysis and Verification Experiment. Results indicated that the operational guidance values, with no calibration, were marginally skillful, with the highest critical success index of 0.20 occurring with 3-h GFFG. The false-alarm rates fell and the skill improved to 0.34 when the rainfall was first spatially averaged within basins and then reached 50% of FFG for 1-h accumulation and exceeded 3-h FFG. Although the skill of the GFFG values was generally lower than that of their FFG counterparts, GFFG was capable of detecting the spatial variability of reported flash flooding better than FFG was for a case study in an urban setting.

CONUS-Wide Evaluation of National Weather Service Flash Flood Guidance Products

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Clark ◽  
Jonathan J. Gourley ◽  
Zachary L. Flamig ◽  
Yang Hong ◽  
Edward Clark
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Flash Flood ◽  
Weather Forecast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Flash Flooding ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Flooding Event ◽  
Flash Flood Guidance ◽  
Critical Success Index

Abstract This study quantifies the skill of the National Weather Service’s (NWS) flash flood guidance (FFG) product. Generated by River Forecast Centers (RFCs) across the United States, local NWS Weather Forecast Offices compare estimated and forecast rainfall to FFG to monitor and assess flash flooding potential. A national flash flood observation database consisting of reports in the NWS publication Storm Data and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauge measurements are used to determine the skill of FFG over a 4-yr period. FFG skill is calculated at several different precipitation-to-FFG ratios for both observation datasets. Although a ratio of 1.0 nominally indicates a potential flash flooding event, this study finds that FFG can be more skillful when ratios other than 1.0 are considered. When the entire continental United States is considered, the highest observed critical success index (CSI) with 1-h FFG is 0.20 for the USGS dataset, which should be considered a benchmark for future research that seeks to improve, modify, or replace the current FFG system. Regional benchmarks of FFG skill are also determined on an RFC-by-RFC basis. When evaluated against Storm Data reports, the regional skill of FFG ranges from 0.00 to 0.19. When evaluated against USGS stream gauge measurements, the regional skill of FFG ranges from 0.00 to 0.44.

scholarly journals Non-targeted Screening of Commercial CBD Products in the United States Reveals Common Contamination and Adulteration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Orsburn
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Data ◽  
Accurate Mass ◽  
Targeted Screening ◽  
Accurate Mass Spectrometry ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
High Resolution Accurate Mass

AbstractThe production of hemp and products derived from these plants that contain zero to trace amounts of the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) is a rapidly growing new market in the United States. The most common products today contain relatively high concentrations of the compound cannabidiol (CBD). Recent studies have investigated commercial CBD products using targeted assays and have found varying degrees of misrepresentation and contamination of these products. To expand on previous studies, we demonstrate the application of non-targeted screening by high resolution accurate mass spectrometry to more comprehensively identify potential adulterants and contaminants. We find evidence to support previous conclusions that CBD products are commonly misrepresented in terms of cannabinoid concentrations present. Specifically, we observe a wide variation in relative THC concentrations across the product tested, with some products containing 10-fold more relative signal than others. In addition, we find that several products appear to be purposely adulterated with over the counter drugs such as caffeine and melatonin. We also observe multiple small molecule contaminants that are typically linked to improper production or packaging methods in food or pharmaceutical production. Finally, we present high resolution accurate mass spectrometry data and tandem MS/MS fragments supporting the presence of trace amounts of fluorofentanyl in a single mail order CBD product. We conclude that the CBD industry would benefit from more robust testing regulations and that the cannabis testing industry, in general, would benefit from the use of non-targeted screening technologies.

scholarly journals Precipitation and Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Continental Analysis with High-Resolution Radar Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (8) ◽  
pp. 1453-1461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott E. Stevens ◽  
Carl J. Schreck ◽  
Shubhayu Saha ◽  
Jesse E. Bell ◽  
Kenneth E. Kunkel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Fatal Crash ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
High Resolution Radar

AbstractMotor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and weather is frequently cited as a contributing factor in fatal crashes. Previous studies have investigated the link between these crashes and precipitation typically using station-based observations that, while providing a good estimate of the prevailing conditions on a given day or hour, often fail to capture the conditions present at the actual time and location of a crash. Using a multiyear, high-resolution radar reanalysis and information on 125,012 fatal crashes spanning the entire continental United States over a 6-yr period, we find that the overall risk of a fatal crash increases by approximately 34% during active precipitation. The risk is significant in all regions of the continental United States, and it is highest during the morning rush hour and during the winter months.

scholarly journals Impact of Anthropogenic Climate Change on United States Major Hurricane Landfall Frequency

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma L. Levin ◽  
Hiroyuki Murakami
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Buffer System ◽  
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Major Hurricane ◽  
The U.S

Although anthropogenic climate change has contributed to warmer ocean temperatures that are seemingly more favorable for Atlantic hurricane development, no major hurricanes made landfall in the United States between 2006 and 2016. The U.S., therefore, experienced a major hurricane landfall drought during those years. Using the high-resolution Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory 25 km grid High-Resolution Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution (HiFLOR) global climate model, the present study shows that increases in anthropogenic forcing, due to increases in greenhouse gasses, are associated with fewer long-duration major hurricane landfall droughts in the U.S., which implies an increase in major hurricane landfall frequency. We create six different fixed-distance ‘buffers’ that artificially circle the United States coastline in 100 km radial increments and can compensate for the bias in hurricane landfall calculations with six-hourly datasets. Major hurricane landfall frequencies are computed by applying the buffer zones to the six-hourly observed and simulated storm track datasets, which are then compared with the observed recorded major hurricane frequencies. We found that the major hurricane landfall frequencies generated with the 200 km buffer using the six-hourly observed best-track dataset are most correlated with the observed recorded major hurricane landfall frequencies. Using HiFLOR with an implemented buffer system, we found less frequent projections of long-duration major hurricane landfall drought events in controlled scenarios with greater anthropogenic global warming, which is independent on the radius of the coastal buffer. These results indicate an increase in U.S. major hurricane landfall frequencies with an increase in anthropogenic warming, which could pose a substantial threat to coastal communities in the U.S.

scholarly journals Detailed Transmission Network Analysis of a Large Opiate-Driven Outbreak of HIV Infection in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 216 (9) ◽  
pp. 1053-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellsworth M Campbell ◽  
Hongwei Jia ◽  
Anupama Shankar ◽  
Debra Hanson ◽  
Wei Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Transmission Network ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
High Resolution Reconstruction

We demonstrate that integration of laboratory, phylogenetic, and epidemiologic data sources allow detailed reconstruction of an outbreak. High-resolution reconstruction of outbreak phylodynamics allows prevention and intervention strategies to be tailored to community needs.

U.S. Floods

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly A. Cigler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
Property Losses ◽  
State And Local

Floods are the costliest natural hazard events in the United States in terms of lives and property losses. The financial costs of flood disasters are unsustainable, especially for the national government, which assumes the most costs while state and local governments have the greatest ability to avoid great losses due to their influence over land use, economic policy, and other areas that can help mitigate floods and reduce the high costs of relief and recovery. This article summarizes the types, causes, and occurrence of floods in the United States and their unsustainable economic and social costs. It explains that the growing burden to taxpayers from disaster response and recovery has resulted in increased interest by national decision makers in shifting more disaster responsibilities and costs to state and local governments. The article reviews the broad tool kit of mitigation strategies available to local governments and their residents in taking greater responsibility for the impacts of flood events.

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