Characterization of Flash Floods in Eastern Kentucky
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 5, Issue 3
Abstract
In the past, flash floods were characterized by rainfall and limited effort was made to examine them from a runoff perspective. For example, the question of how flash floods differ from other floods remains to be investigated. In order to satisfy this need, runoff hydrographs of 30 flood events from four watersheds in eastern Kentucky are selected and analyzed. In flash flood situations, certain portions of the hydrograph, such as the rising limb, time to peak, and magnitude of the peak, are important. To recognize this, runoff hydrograph characteristics such as the rising curve gradient, K, flood magnitude ratio, M, and flood response time, TP, are evaluated directly from observed floods. Using these characteristics, relative severity factors RK, RM, and RT are determined and summed to obtain a flash flood index, RF. Results from this study show that a reported flash flood event of May 18, 1995, has values RK = 3, RM = 16, and RT = 6 and a flash flood index, RF = 25. Overall, half of the flood events have flash flood indices greater than or equal to 15.
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References
1.
French, M. N., Bhaskar, N. R., and Kyiamah, G. K. (1996). “Flash flood monitoring and modeling in Kentucky.” Final Rep., Subgrant No. 425374-95-02, Kentucky Water Resources Research Inst., University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.
2.
LaPenta, K. D. et al. (1995). “The challenge of forecasting heavy rain and flooding throughout the Eastern Region of the National Weather Service. Part I: Characteristics and events.” Weather and Forecasting, 10(1), 78–90.
3.
Opitz, H. H. et al. (1995). “The challenge of forecasting heavy rain and flooding throughout the Eastern Region of the National Weather Service. Part II: Forecast techniques and applications.” Weather and Forecasting, 10(1), 91–104.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 5 • Issue 3 • July 2000
Pages: 327 - 331
History
Received: May 4, 1998
Published online: Jul 1, 2000
Published in print: Jul 2000
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