Actionable Flood Warnings Based on Ground-truth Data to Support Iowa Dot BridgeWatch Platform Functionality

The expectation of improved flood warnings has become critical for many agencies and communities at a time when flooding is increasingly severe and widespread. Formulation of flood warnings for a specific area entails three major steps: A) forecasting the flood hazards, B) delineation of the flood maps, and C) assessment of the threats to human safety and economic losses within the inundated areas. The first step is executed with hydraulic & hydrologic modeling assisted by direct measurements of various water cycle variables. The second and third steps entail specialized analyses applied to a variety of physiographic, built infrastructure, social, and economic data. Consequently, the reliability of flood warnings is directly dependent on the model skills and the quality of the input data for the modeling and specialized analyses involved. In general, flood warnings are highly uncertain. Taking advantage of the unique resources available at the Iowa Flood Center (IFC), the present research has developed an innovative path to improve the flood-warning formulation (steps B and C above) with focus on transportation infrastructure and resource allocation during flooding. Specifically, the research carried out through the present research tackled the following objectives: a) assessment of the quality of the statewide floodplain mapping at selected bridges across the state (with and without BridgeWatch warnings) by using the High-Resolution Satellite-based Maps (HRSM) available from third-party sources. The evaluation of the existing floodplain maps is an important step to gain confidence in streamflow forecasting on which the BridgeWatch warnings are based. b) Developing a long-term plan to extend the BridgeWatch functionality to all floodprone Iowa bridges at ungaged sites based on the inferences obtained in step a) above. The extension of the BridgeWatch functionality includes the innovative use of the IFC bridge sensors data in conjunction with the streamflow forecasting protocols to inform on floodplain mapping extent at ungaged sites via the HRSM-based datasets. BridgeWatch functionality extension also entails addition of other functionalities that can significantly increase the protection for the statewide road network against the direct and indirect adverse impacts, including the loss of access to essential services during flooding.

• Record URL:
  https://publications.iowa.gov/48383/2/RE22016_Final%20Report.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/74037
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242

  Iowa Department of Transportation

  800 Lincoln Way
  Ames, IA  United States  50010

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Demir, Ibrahim
  • Muste, Marian
• Publication Date: 2024-2-15

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 34p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Data analysis; Flood plains; Floods; Infrastructure; Mapping; Resource allocation; Risk analysis; Warning systems
• Geographic Terms: Iowa
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01914240
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: SPR-RE22(016)- 8H-00
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 11 2024 1:23PM