SBC Session 49 - NOAA Flood Detection

Satellite imagery has become an especially useful tool for flood detection. The VIIRS Flood product was first conceived in 2013 after a major flood in Galena, Alaska as a result of a large ice jam. Since then, it has expanded over a half a dozen products, including the VIIRS-only direct broadcast product, to joint LEO/GEO products and the VIIRS Flood product will become operational in mid-2021. A discussion of how the VIIRS flood products will be shown along with showing other related products during the 2020 flood along the Red River.

About the Presenters: Carl Jones is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, he received his B.S. in Meteorology from Florida State University in 2012. In 2014, he made the trek northward trading beaches for blizzards taking a job as a forecaster with Iteris, providing road weather support to various state Departments of Transportation. He worked at Iteris for three years before trading the private sector hat for a public sector hat by joining NWS Grand Forks. His professional focus remains in road weather and satellite applications, but his personal focus resides with his family, photography, cooking, and getting outdoors.

William Straka has been a researcher with the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) for nearly 15 years. Currently, he focuses on a number of topics, including algorithm integration, utilization of the Day Night Band on VIIRS as well as, for the last several years, interacting with forecasters and other stakeholders, including FEMA and others, on utilizing flood and other satellite products for disaster monitoring and response.


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