SCC-CIVIC-PG Track B: Enhancing Communities Preparedness and Resilience to Post-Wildfire Hydrology in Mountainous Areas

山火过后的灾害，如山洪暴发、严重侵蚀和泥石流，比如2018年导致23人死亡的加州蒙特西托山火，对生命和基础设施造成的损失越来越大。在美国西部刚刚经历了创纪录的野火季节之后，预计这些灾害将会增加。野火灾害跨越多个科学学科，并影响当地社区和政府机构。山区缺乏对天气、水和土地管理的观测，极大地限制了科学知识的发展，从而无法更好地监测和预报山火后灾害。面对社会基础设施遭到破坏和生命损失的风险增加，社区已经认识到通过降水和地表水的观测来填补空白的好处。该项目建议联合科学界，与当地实体建立桥梁，协调观测和研究工作，以实现提高野火后水文知识和减少野火后灾害影响的共同目标。该项目将通过推进野火后水文相关风险的监测技术和预测工具来解决公民优先事项和促进研究，这些技术和预测工具目前在复杂地形中尚不完善。俄克拉荷马大学和国家强风暴实验室的研究人员将与核心公民合作伙伴接触，以细化社区的需求，并匹配水文气象学、社会科学、雷达现场观测和研究到运营经验方面的专业知识，在项目的第二阶段设计科罗拉多州的现场部署战略。该项目将在烧伤地区建立一个“移动观测站”，由移动气象雷达、流传感器、分流仪和雨量计组成。收集的数据集将通过提供独特的野火后观测来推进科学界，同时通过提供实时信息和绘制预期影响的能力，立即增强当地社区的准备和恢复能力。该项目将探索“预测接近度”在风险感知方面的好处，并通过当地预测吸引社区参与，同时改善他们与业务预测网格的联系。拟议的试点项目将对水文学、业务预报和风险评估科学作出若干重大贡献，对当地社区有直接好处。由于野火灾害会影响整个西部的盆地和社区，因此将成立一个咨询委员会，该委员会将包括来自西部各州的几个政府机构和当地利益相关者。它将促进在这个试点项目之外建立移动观测联盟。研究结果将改变山洪预测科学和火灾后景观管理，从而提高社会的复原力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Post-wildfire disasters such as flash floods, severe erosion, and debris flows like the Montecito, CA event that killed 23 people in 2018 are becoming more costly to lives and infrastructure. These disasters are anticipated to increase following the record wildfire season just experienced across the western U.S. Post-wildfire disasters cross multiple scientific disciplines and impact local communities to government agencies. A lack of observations in mountainous regions for weather, water, and land management has significantly limited the progression of scientific knowledge to better monitor and forecast post-wildfire disasters. Facing increased risk of damage to societal infrastructure and loss of human life, communities have identified the benefits from gap-filling observations of precipitation and surface water. This project proposes to unite the scientific community, bridge with local entities, and coordinate observations and research efforts targeting the common goal of enhancing knowledge on post-wildfire hydrology and reducing the effects of post-wildfire disasters.This project will address both civic priorities and foster research by advancing monitoring technologies and forecasting tools of risk related to post-wildfire hydrology, which are currently inadequate in complex terrain. The University of Oklahoma and National Severe Storms Laboratory researchers will reach out to and work with core civic partners to refine the needs of communities and match expertise in hydrometeorology, social science, radar field observations, and research-to-operations experience to design a field deployment strategy in Colorado during the Stage 2 portion of the project. The project will establish a “mobile observatory” on burn areas comprised of mobile weather radars, stream sensors, disdrometers, and rain gauges. Datasets collected will advance the scientific community by providing unique, post-wildfire observations, while immediately enhancing the preparedness and resiliency of local communities by providing real-time information and capabilities to map the anticipated impacts. The project will explore the benefits of “forecasting proximity” in terms of risk perception and engage communities through local forecasting while improving their connections to the operational forecast grid. The proposed pilot project will make several substantial contributions to hydrologic, operational forecasting, and risk assessment sciences, with direct benefit to local communities. Because post-wildfire disasters impact basins and communities across the West, an advisory board committee will be set up that will involve several government agencies and local stakeholders from western states. It will foster the creation of coalitions for mobile observations beyond this pilot project. The results will shift flash-flooding prediction science and post-fire landscape management that translates into increased societal resilience.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.