The Development of an Urban Rain Rate Dashboard (URRD) Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Abstract; Urban areas are at an increased risk for flash flooding due to the vast coverage of impervious surfaces. Yet, forecasting the small-scale, high-impact events that can lead to flash flooding in urban areas remains a challenge. Numerical weather prediction models and ensemble systems provide guidance for forecasting these types of events, with convection-allowing ensembles aiding in prediction greatly in recent years. This study presents a new experimental decision support tool called the Urban Rain Rate Dashboard (URRD) that was created for the purpose of assessing the probability of heavy rainfall that could lead to urban flooding over a given time period. The URRD processes various ensembles of numerical weather prediction models to find a probability of an urban flooding event occurring in various cities across the contiguous United States. The 50 most populous cities in the contiguous United States (CONUS) were chosen, plus an additional 17 cities to ensure that each state is touched by a metropolitan area included in the dashboard. The guidance from the URRD is available for the next 60 h (short term) or days 4–7 (long term). Additionally, city-specific information is available to users, allowing them to tailor the presentation of the dashboard to their specific city’s needs. The experimental website can be found online, where live data are available every day.; ; Significance Statement; The Urban Rain Rate Dashboard (URRD) is an experimental tool developed at the NOAA/NWS/Weather Prediction Center in response to recent urban flooding events, such as the devastating impacts of post–Tropical Cyclone Ida in the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas in 2021. The tool streamlines numerical weather prediction data to aid city managers in determining the risk for heavy rainfall that may lead to urban flooding. It is designed to synthesize information for city resource managers and be used in conjunction with their existing operational decision support services. The URRD provides both short- and long-term guidance, presenting decision-makers with a snapshot of the risks for both near-real-time and outlook information as they prepare for impacts in urban areas.;

publication date

  • May 1, 2026

Date in CU Experts

  • April 20, 2026 9:39 AM

Full Author List

  • Bower E; Bright D; King A; Nelson JA; Novak DR; Semmens K; Hogan Carr R; Maxfield K; Montz B; Painter P

author count

  • 10

Other Profiles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0003-0007

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1520-0477

Additional Document Info

start page

  • E988

end page

  • E1005

volume

  • 107

issue

  • 5