Development of a distributed hydrologic model with application to a flood alert system

A new generation of distributed hydrologic models has been developed to be compatible with recent advancements in remotely sensed and GIS data. In contrast to lumped conceptual rainfall-runoff models, physics-based distributed parameter models attempt to preserve the spatial variability of the model inputs and outputs and use parameters that are directly measurable. This study applied one such distributed model called Vflo(TM) to Brays Bayou, a flat, highly urbanized watershed located in southwest Houston, Texas. The effectiveness and accuracy of Vflo(TM) and distributed modeling for Brays Bayou was demonstrated by using multiple historical storms events from 1998 to 2002. The performance of the calibrated model was also evaluated in a real-time flood alert system application. Initial tests indicate that the model is capable of accurately quantifying lead-time in advance of observed measurements. This research builds a solid foundation for future flood alert verification of this model.