National Weather Service unveils new flood inundation maps

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The National Weather Service has added a new feature to their Flood Warnings, Flash Flood Warnings and Flood Advisories: Flood Inundation Maps.

These maps use a National Water Model , which includes current and forecasted rainfall amounts as well as stream levels to show flood inundation areas around a creek, stream or river.

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At the National Weather Service's annual media workshop for local meteorologists, hydrologist James LaRosa showed an example of how this helped in issuing a Flood Advisory for Fentress County last summer.

"There's a creek that runs through here," LaRosa said, pointing to the maps included above. "If we have a heavy rain event, water overflows the banks around it and that's what the blue shaded area means. When we look at these inundation maps, we can then find impacts. Here, where the creek crosses Sandy Road at the bend here, there is probably some water over the road in that area. We would take this and tell the public, 'Hey, if you happen to be driving along Sandy Road, watch out, because there could be some water over it.'"

In the future, News 2 plans to include flood inundation maps during broadcasts,

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