National Weather Service Professional Development Series Professional Competency Unit

Description of Job Duty Competency to be Achieved

Apply a knowledge of regional climatology and flash flood history to create a set of expectations for flash flood events.

Description of Need

As part of forecasting flash floods and issuing subsequent watches and warnings, forecasters should know the range of possible atmospheric phenomena associated with current observations that could potentially result in flash flooding. Forecasters also need to know the flash flood-prone basins and areas within the forecast area. Offices should have a complete set of local climatological and historical flow data which should be readily accessible to forecasters.

Specific Job Task Skills and Knowledge

1. Know how current or anticipated data relate to the climatological distribution and magnitude of flash flood events.

2. Know the history of flash flood events in your area of responsibility.

3. Apply knowledge of historical flash flood events to determine flash flood potential for areas where information is lacking.

4. Develop and maintain an easily accessible database of historical flash floosysinformation for forecaster reference.

5. Compile rainfall and flood frequency relationships for locations in your service area.

6. Demonstrate ability to use database of historical flash flood information, rainfall and flood frequency relationships to forecast flash flood events in the service area.

Instructional Components

Instructional Component 1.1: Storm Data and Climatological Database: Electronic access to storm data and other local climatological data. Examples of a local, web-based climatology should be developed to illustrate how this data has been used by local offices. [all]

Instructional Component 1.2: Flash Flood Case Studies: The local WFO will develop and/or identify already existing case studies of flash flood events pertinent to the area of responsibility and provide access to them through the Internet or other means.

Instructional Component 1.3: Local Flash Flood Climatology: Local WFO training will be provided on how climatology can be used to better anticipate flash flood producing rainfall and better develop local preparedness programs.

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