CONVERT PCSWMM 2016 TO MIKE URBAN SOFTWARE
“ draws information from our other software models to help with predictions and operations. In short, it combines all the source data in a single navigable program, focused around the overall map view. Karl McArthur, supervising engineer with WPD, explains that a large situational map view comprises the centerpiece of FloodVieux’s interface and can be surrounded by smaller pieces depicting source information, such as remote low water crossing pictures and real-time data from a particular rain or stream gauge watch point. This software as a service (SaaS) mimics other cloud-based services, but specializes as an integrated system for display, data visualization, analysis, and notification used in flood warning and water management. By harnessing the Web app, FloodVieux allows quick access to real-time information and easy retrieval of archival data. By leveraging cloud computing through Amazon Web Services, FloodVieux facilitates situational awareness during emergency events. Together, WPD and Vieux are developing FloodVieux, a common operating picture of rainfall, water level, and runoff information, by connecting diverse sets of mission-critical data. The need to create an integrated system led to Austin to bring in Vieux and Associates Inc., a firm based in Norman, OK, specializing in rainfall and runoff software. “It revealed some issues we had with the Flood Early Warning System and overall communication across different departments within the city.” “We had about 850-plus homes flood, some with up to eight feet of water in them,” says Shunk. The speed of inundation caught residents completely off guard and resulted in fourth deaths. In 15 minutes, Onion Creek rose 11 feet and crested at a record 41 feet later in the day. Unfortunately, the motivator to develop a consolidated system was a flood of record on October 31, 2013, on Onion Creek in neighborhoods between Interstate 35 and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. “We wanted to have software that can ingest these different sources of information and display it in one location, on a single site or map for us to look at.” “When it rains, I have my methods of opening up various software, and those are my tools to watch things,” says Shunk. The monitoring system utilizes 130 rain or creek gauges, gauge-adjusted radar rainfall data, 15 low water crossing signals, cameras at low water crossings, and predictive modeling and mapping. “We have significant numbers of flood hazards, on the order of 10,000 properties with some level of flood risk, and around 400 roads that flood in a 100-year event,” says Kevin Shunk, floodplain administrator at WPD. The frequency of flash flooding and resulting destruction led WPD to create a Flood Early Warning System roughly 30 years ago to continually monitor rainfall, water levels, and low water crossings within Austin. The topographic transition between the state’s Hill Country and coastal plain regions means that frequently, atmospheric moisture sent aloft by the Gulf of Mexico delivers intense rainfall events across the transition zone, which runs roughly from Dallas in the northeast, through Waco and Austin, to San Antonio in the southeast. The department’s role is especially important as Austin lies within the swath of Central Texas known as Flash Flood Alley, an area of steep terrain and shallow soil that also receives very high rainfall. Originally established in 1991, the city of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department (WPD) focuses on reducing the effects of flooding, erosion, and water pollution. Every engineer, company, and organization must consider their specific circumstances. Not all software upgrades improve workflow or model results in every situation.
CONVERT PCSWMM 2016 TO MIKE URBAN UPGRADE
Conduct a full investigation into advantages and disadvantages of the new product, upgrade glitches and headaches experienced by others, and how changes within the new programming may affect modeling results, especially for ongoing projects or models periodically updated every few years. But any computing change demands caution. Instead, a few case studies of some impressive changes are presented here.Įven small firms with limited budgets can make significant improvements to their overall productivity by updating as appropriate to their workload and budget. A complete list of every change recently introduced to the market would be overwhelming to the average modeler. Dramatic decreases in model run times, thoughtful assembly of multiple information sources, and greater flexibility within hydrologic connectivity options demonstrate just a few ways these changes have improved the science of modeling. Developers of hydraulic and hydrologic modeling software have recently unveiled exciting new program updates and products to increase the efficiency and effectiveness.