Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2005TX193B

Enhancing A Distributed Hydrologic Model for Storm Water Analysis within a GIS Framework in an Urban Area

Institute: Texas
Year Established: 2005 Start Date: 2005-03-01 End Date: 2006-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,001

Principal Investigators: Zheng Fang, Philip Bedient

Project Summary: This project will develop an advanced flood modeling system for flood-prone areas in Houston, Texas. The study will use National Weather Service NEXRAD (next generation) RADAR as inputs to a physics-based vFlo model. Excess rainfall will be converted to stormwater runoff or overland flow. The model is unique in that stormwater mains and distribution systems will be incorporated into this real-time distributed computer model. This innovative modeling approach will provide more accurate data on areas where stormwater networks most affect the likelihood of flood events, and will help water resources managers and engineers develop feasible and effective flood control projects. The project builds upon two previous TWRI projects funded at Rice to develop flood alert systems for Houston and Austin. The project is supported by the Texas Medical Center.