Flood pathing models flood waves to predict their impact on waterways and land. Engineers use this information for reservoir management and emergency flood forecasting. Hydrologists use it for environmental and safety purposes. It is also useful for government agencies, private industry, and insurance agencies.
Flood pathing is the process of modeling a flood wave to understand what it will do at various points along a stream. This is critical to reservoir and waterway management and can also become important in an emergency when accurate flood forecasting is needed to determine if a flood poses a health and safety risk. Software programs can do flow routing and it is also possible to do calculations by hand.
Water behaves in predictable ways that can be modeled by researchers who understand the dynamics of water, streams and flood behavior. In a flood, a very large volume of water moves through established streams and can spill onto nearby land. With information about the amount of water present and the physical characteristics of the region, an engineer can run some flood routing equations to make predictions about flood movement.
In reservoir management, engineers rely on periodically high volumes of water to recharge the reservoir and provide adequate water supplies for the community. They use the flood pattern to determine whether a flood will meet the need and to check for signs that they need to make changes to the reservoir or to their water management plans. The spillway on a dam may need to be opened for runoff, for example, to prevent overflow as floodwaters move inland.
Hydrologists interested in streams and environmental health can use flood path and other modeling tools to predict situations and gather information about current flood conditions. This information can also help with erosion predictions. The hydrologist wants to be able to model the shape of the wave, as this can have important implications for how it moves, along with its pitch and timing. It can be important to know when flood waters are expected to rise and retreat.
Another use for flood routing is in modeling for health and safety purposes. It can take some time to get an evacuation order and ensure that everyone in a community complies. In conditions where flooding is likely to occur, hydrologists perform calculations to make predictions and determine if an evacuation is warranted. They may also suggest shelter-in-place or other safety measures to reduce loss of life or property.
Government agencies rely on hydrologists to perform flood management tasks. They may also work in private industry, particularly in sectors such as agriculture where accurate flood forecasting is very important. Insurance agencies also have a use for flood modeling, as they use this information when issuing policies and paying claims.
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