Flood-Warning Decision-Support System for Sacramento, California

Abstract

An automated flood-warning decision-support system (FW-DSS) increases flood warning lead time for Sacramento County, California, and thus has the potential to save lives and reduce flood damage. The FW-DSS components measure rainfall depths and water levels, transmit these observations in real time to an emergency operations center, and store and display these data. The FW-DSS includes an electronic version of the county's flood emergency operations plan, automating flood threat recognition with the real-time data. It also automates information dissemination, notifying county emergency managers when a threat is detected. The FW-DSS includes forecasting models also, thus permitting recognition of and response to future threats.