NOAA Provides Expertise for Colombian Extreme Rainfall Early Warning System
September 19, 2007
NOAA scientists recently participated in a workshop in Medellín, Colombia to improve forecasting for the Aburrá Valley, a long and narrow region characterized by very steep, lush terrain. With annual precipitation rates of approximately 1500 mm to 3000+ mm (60 to 120 inches), it is prone to flooding and debris flows, which threaten large numbers of people living along the edges of drainage basins. At the invitation of the Aburrá Valley's Area Metropolitana (the regional environmental and planning authority), Tim Schneider (Earth System Research Laboratory) joined Pedro Restrepo (NWS – Office of Hydrologic Development) and Curt Barrett (NWS – International Activities) to participate in the Medellín workshop on 11-12 September 2007, to share their expertise to help promote and develop an early warning system that will have a direct impact on disaster reduction for the Aburrá Valley region.
Background:
Many current NOAA programs seek better understanding of weather and climate
on regional scales in order to help mitigate related impacts. Curt Barrett
shared information on building early warning systems. Tim Schneider gave an
overview of the Hydrometeorological Testbed (HMT) program; NOAA's
regionally implemented national testbed strategy to aid flood forecasting
and water resource management. Pedro Restrepo spoke about the NOAA – USGS
Debris Flow project; a demonstration flashflood and debris-flow
early-warning system for recently burned areas in southern California.
Significance:
Over the coming month, workshop participants will draft terms of reference
and implementation plans for an Early Warning System for the Aburrá Valley
region. This early warning system could serve to integrate the limited
existing infrastructure into a real time network. It also has potential to
become a model utilized by the World Bank through a World Bank/NOAA
Memorandum of Understanding that has been prepared with this project and
similar projects in mind. Participation in this workshop was an opportunity
to inform and educate the international community about NOAA's research and
regional efforts to improve the availability and quality of weather and
water information to benefit society. This activity applies lessons learned
from NOAA's Hydrometeorological Testbed to a flood prone region of the
world, and serves to solidify a one-NOAA effort through cross line office
involvement.
Contact: Tim Schneider |