Hydrometeorological Analysis and Support Function at the Southeast River Forecast Center

Proceedings of the 2001 Georgia Water Resources Conference, April 26 and 27, 2001, Athens, Georgia.In the late 1980s, the National Weather Service (NWS) launched its ten year, 4.5 billion dollar Modernization and Restructuring (MAR) program to take advantage of rapidly advancing scientific and computer technologies. The implementation of MAR is complete and has succeeded in modernizing the hydrometeorological operations of the NWS. As a result of MAR, all 13 River Forecast Centers (RFC) across the U.S. restructured their operations and upgraded computer technology. The RFCs have extended their hours into the evening and nearly doubled their staffs, which included the hiring of three meteorologists at each RFC. These meteorologists have become part of a new function at RFCs, known as the Hydrometeorological Analysis and Support (HAS)function, to manage the greatly increased flow of hydrometeorological data for input into the hydrologic models. The HAS forecaster is primarily responsible for the production of the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF), the verification activities associated with the QPF, the comparison and quality control of radar and rain gage data, and the production of hydrometeorological discussions.Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397) or the other conference sponsors

Quantitative Precipitation Forecast: Its Generation and Verification at the Southeast River Forecast Center

Proceedings of the 1999 Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 30 and 31, Athens, Georgia.In a typical year, flooding is the number one cause of weather related deaths in the United States. The National Hurricane Center recently reported that inland flooding now surpasses coastal storm surge as the leading cause of hurricane related deaths (Rappaport et al., 1998). Hurricane Mitch of October, 1998, was responsible for upwards of 10,000 people losing their lives in inland flooding and mud flows in Central America. Although the National Weather Service has produced river and flooding forecasts since 1890, it wasn't until the mid 1990s that the Southeast River Forecast Center (SERFC) incorporated Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF) into its river models throughout the southeastern United States. With the southeastern United States receiving more annual precipitation than anywhere else in the country, and with threats of hurricanes and other tropical type weather, it is imperative that an accurate QPF forecast be made and entered into the SERFC river models. Verification of the QPF has been an important undertaking at the SERFC over the last two years. This paper will discuss QPF verification findings for 1998 and the impact of QPF on the accuracy of hydrologic models.Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202 with partial funding provided by the U.S. Department of Interior, geological Survey, through the Georgia Water Research Insttitute as authorized by the Water Research Institutes Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397). The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of the University of Georgia or the U.S. Geological Survey or the conference sponsors