Results:
Tag: flooding
Clear
  • A Calibration Method for Projecting Future Extremes via a Linear Mapping of Parameters

    Abstract: In order to study potential impacts arising from climate change, future projections of numerical model output often must be calibrated to be comparable to observations. Rather than calibrating the data values themselves, we propose a novel statistical calibration method for extremes that assumes there exists a linear relationship between parameters associated with model output and parameters associated with observations. This approach allows us to capture uncertainty in both parameter estimates and the linear calibration, which we achieve via bootstrap. To focus on extreme behavior, we assume both model output and observations have distributions composed of a mixture model combining a Weibull distribution with a generalized Pareto distribution for the tail. A simulation study shows good coverage rates. We apply the method to project future daily-averaged river runoff at the Purgatoire River in southeastern Colorado.
  • ‘Like a detective looking for evidence in a crime scene’: How collecting high-water marks helps flood risk reduction efforts

    If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Similarly, if a heavy rain event causes flooding overnight and no one is awake to see it, did it happen? Of course it did. But, how do you know how high the water got if no one was there to witness it? This was the scenario facing the City of Merriam, Kansas, after a significant rainfall event occurred overnight and into the early morning of July 17, 2025. Turkey Creek, which runs through the city, is prone to flash flooding during heavy rain events. On July 17, the creek flooded, impacting parts of the city, but it all occurred overnight when most people were asleep. The flood waters receded almost as quickly as they rose, posing the question: how high did the water get?
  • USACE staff work around the clock to reopen recreation areas after historic flooding

    When floodwaters finally receded throughout Kentucky’s Green River Basin, they left behind more than mud and debris –they left a monumental cleanup challenge for the crews that manage U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District flood risk management (FRM) projects in the area. Following record rainfall in early 2025, project staff at the district’s lakes have worked tirelessly repairing, cleaning and reopening facilities so visitors could enjoy as much of the 2025 recreation season as possible. Several reservoirs reached historic highs: Rough River Lake crested at a record 530.4 feet MSL (mean sea level), Barren River Lake at 586 feet MSL, Nolin River Lake reached its second-highest pool at 556.28 feet, and Green River Lake rose into its top five historic pools on record.
  • Temporary flood barriers prove effective during flood event in Juneau

    During the week of August 11, the Mendenhall Glacier released its yearly glacier lake outburst flood, also known as a jökulhlaup (Yah-cuh-laup). In preparation for the potential threat to infrastructure and public safety, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided temporary flood mitigation barriers to the City and Borough of Juneau last winter. While USACE continues to prepare a technical study that will help to define the parameters of an enduring flood risk mitigation solution, these barriers provided vital short-term protection to the community along the river this week by holding back the glacial water released from Suicide Basin and performing well during the peak of the floodwaters.
  • Charleston District and City of Charleston Partner Together on Design and Construction of Stormwater Management Projects

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, and the City of Charleston have partnered together to rehabilitate the city’s historic brick arch stormwater drainage system on the Charleston Peninsula and to support the design of the next phase of the Dupont-Wappoo Watershed Master Plan in West Ashley. This effort, authorized under a federal environmental infrastructure program, aims to improve stormwater management, enhance public safety, and strengthen the reliability of critical drainage systems in two of the city’s most flood-prone areas.
  • Nolin River Lake recreational facilities impacted by high water

    As the recreation season approaches, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District is providing an update regarding USACE-managed recreation areas at Nolin River Lake in Bee Spring, Kentucky, as it pertains to the recent high-water event. Nolin River Lake is working to assess, clean, and repair recreation facilities affected by spring flooding. Based on current conditions, we are adjusting our anticipated opening schedule as follows (subject to change).
  • Record rainfall, rising rivers: Inside the Louisville District's response to April's historic flooding

    Just weeks after the February 2025 flood event wreaked havoc on the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the
  • Corps of Engineers managing water as storm front moves through Cumberland River Basin

    As storms begin to move out of the Cumberland River Basin in Tennessee and Kentucky, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues its focus on moving water through the system while reducing flood risk.