The rainfall that led to September鈥檚 floods in Colorado has been described as 鈥渂iblical.鈥� State Climatologist Nolan Doesken is trying to quantify that description.
Flooded watersheds were dotted with rain gauges. for the efforts to gather rainfall totals, scientists have precise estimates of rainfall totals.
The precipitation totals are being plugged into a Google Earth Map that can produce maps like the one below.
Inside places the like Four Mile Canyon and the High Park Fire burn zones, Doesken says it was a happy accident that researchers had installed instruments and stream gauges.
Right now one key question is how the storm could have been better predicted. At the in Boulder, forecasters like Chad Gimmestad knew large amounts of rain were coming, but pinpointing exact locations was challenging.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 really know until a few hours in advance when the thunderstorms were starting to develop,鈥� he Gimmestad said.
Two months after September鈥檚 historic flooding, scientists are evaluating computer forecast models against what happened to see why some of their models failed.
The U.S. Geological Survey is also crunching data that could be used to regulate development and design of future infrastructure in flood plains. The USGS expects to release this data in the next few weeks.
A project that will take longer is replacing about 24 stream gauges that were damaged in the flooding.
鈥淭he USGS is going to a relatively newer design using sensors that are mounted above the water and we use non-contact radar sensors,鈥� said Bob Kimbrough, associate director for the Center. 鈥淭hese sensors are out of the water and aren鈥檛 subject to being damaged by high flows.鈥�
Perhaps the most difficult question will be determining what role climate change played in the September floods. Doesken says he can鈥檛 finish a presentation on Colorado鈥檚 flooding without an audience member asking about it.
鈥淢ostly it鈥檚 not related to climate change,鈥� he said. 鈥淸It鈥檚] possibly an incremental enhancement, but a small increment.鈥�
Just how incremental? It鈥檚 all about where the data leads now, as scientists tally Colorado鈥檚 unprecedented deluge.
