George Wetzel/Mark Walton/Randall Graham

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Dam Break WarnGen Templates

• by
• George Wetzel/Mark Walton/Randall Graham
• HMT WarnGen Focal Point/Hydrologist/SOO
• WFO Grand Rapids, Michigan

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WFO Grand Rapids, Michigan

• HSA includes 23 counties in Southwest Lower
  Michigan.
• HSA includes 291 dams ranging in height from only
  several feet to 100 feet.
• Of the 291 dams, 47 are classified as High
  Hazard, 81 Significant Hazard, and 163 Low Hazard
  dams.

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Dam Break WarnGen Templates

• This is an example of a WarnGen Template menu
  showing a listing of the dams
• A specific flash flood warning or flood watch can
  be generated for each dam on the list.

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Dam Break WarnGen Templates

• This is an example of a WarnGen Template for a
  flood watch for a specific dam. To generate a
  flood watch highlight the following sections

1st Option is to select if the watch is due to a
potential structural problem or if it is due to
high water flow 2nd Option is to select who
reported the problem 3rd Option is to select the
dam And finallyCreate Text.
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Dam Break WarnGen Product Example for a Flood
Watch

• MIC081-182100-BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
  REQUESTEDFLOOD WATCHNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
  GRAND RAPIDS MI1104 AM EDT FRI OCT 18 2002THE
  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS
  ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE THORNAPPLE RIVER
  BELOW THE ADA DAM IN KENT COUNTY UNTIL 500
  PM EDT AT 1101 AM EDT COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED
  THAT THE ADA DAM ON THE THORNAPPLE RIVER WAS
  APPROACHING CAPACITY DUE TO HIGH WATER FLOWS.
  THE NEAREST DOWNSTREAM TOWN IS ADA...LOCATED 1/4
  MILE FROM THE DAM.PEOPLE IN THE LOW LYING AREAS
  BELOW ADA DAM SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OFTHE
  SITUATION AND STAY ALERT TO CHANGING CONDITIONS,
  INCLUDINGPOSSIBLE EVACUATIONS.DAM SAFETY
  EXPERTS WITH STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY
  SERVICES...AREMONITORING THE DAM AND WILL ISSUE
  A PUBLIC STATEMENT AS CONDITIONSWARRANT.PLAN
  NOW SO YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY.
  KEEP INFORMEDBY LISTENING TO LOCAL RADIO AND
  TELEVISION FOR STATEMENTS ANDPOSSIBLE WARNINGS.
  FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS.A
  FLOOD WATCH MEANS RAPIDLY RISING WATER OR FLASH
  FLOODING ISPOSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT IN THE
  WATCH AREA. 

This is an example of a flood watch generated by
the WarnGen template
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Dam Break WarnGen Templates

• This is an example of a WarnGen Template for a
  generic flood watch designed to handle any dam.
  To generate a generic flood watch highlight the
  following sections

1st Option is to select if the watch is due to a
potential structural problem or if it is due to
high water flow
2nd Option is to select who reported the problem
And finallyCreate Text.
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Dam Break WarnGen Product Example for a Generic
Flood Watch
MIC081-231900-BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
REQUESTEDFLOOD WATCHNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
GRAND RAPIDS MI904 AM EDT WED OCT 23 2002THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS
ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ! ! RIVER
BELOW THE ! ! DAM IN ! !COUNTY UNTIL
300 PM EDT AT 859 AM EDT COUNTY DISPATCH
REPORTED THAT THE ! ! DAM ON THE ! !
RIVER HAS A POTENTIAL STRUCTURAL CONCERN.
PEOPLE IN THE LOW LYING AREAS BELOW ! ! DAM
SHOULD KEEP ABREASTOF THE SITUATION AND STAY
ALERT TO CHANGING CONDITIONS, INCLUDINGPOSSIBLE
EVACUATIONS.DAM SAFETY EXPERTS WITH STATE AND
LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES...AREMONITORING THE DAM
AND WILL ISSUE A PUBLIC STATEMENT AS
CONDITIONSWARRANT.PLAN NOW SO YOU WILL KNOW
WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY. KEEP INFORMEDBY
LISTENING TO LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR
STATEMENTS ANDPOSSIBLE WARNINGS. FOLLOW THE
ADVICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS.A FLOOD WATCH
MEANS RAPIDLY RISING WATER OR FLASH FLOODING
ISPOSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT IN THE WATCH AREA.

• For the generic flood watch the forecaster fills
  in the blanks and then sends out the product

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Dam Break WarnGen Templates

• This is an example of a WarnGen Template for a
  flash flood warning for a dam. To generate a
  flash flood warning highlight the following
  sections

1st Option is to select if the failure has
occurred or is imminent
2nd Option is to select who reported the failure
3rd Option is to select the dam
And finallyCreate Text.
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Dam Break WarnGen Product Example for a Flood
Warning
MIC005-182145-BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION
REQUESTEDFLASH FLOOD WARNINGNATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI349 PM EDT FRI OCT 18
2002THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND
RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR A
DAM FAILURE ON THE KALAMAZOO RIVER BELOW THE
ALLEGAN DAM IN ALLEGAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST
MICHIGAN UNTIL 545 PM EDT AT 347 PM EDT THE
FAILURE OF THE ALLEGAN DAM ON THE KALAMAZOO
RIVER WAS REPORTED BY COUNTY DISPATCH. IF
YOU LIVE IN THE LOW LYING AREAS BELOW THE ALLEGAN
DAM ON THEKALAMAZOO RIVER, INCLUDING PERSONS IN
THE ALLEGAN STATE GAME AREA ANDNEW RICHMOND, YOU
SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.FOLLOW
INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED BY YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY
OFFICIALS. DONOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED
ROADWAYS. FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BEISSUED AS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
This is an example of a flash flood warning
generated by the WarnGen template
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So Whats the big deal?

• It allows for quick, efficient, and consistent
  issuance of flood watches and flash flood
  warnings for dams.
• This product has alleviated the problem of office
  personnel having to dig through emergency action
  plans and dam catalogs to issue a product that is
  maybe a once in a lifetime issuance.
• It was developed using customer feedback.
• Products are reviewed each year during Emergency
  Action Plan reviews with our customers.
• These templates can easily be modified by other
  offices for use in WarnGen.