RAPID: Critical data collection from a flash flooding event in Eastern Kentucky

肯塔基州和邻近的阿巴拉契亚地区因山洪暴发多次遭受悲惨的生命和财产损失。肯塔基州东部的山洪暴发在暴雨的频率、强度、持续时间和时间上都是独一无二的。然而，该地区对控制山洪暴发的机制知之甚少。拟议的项目将使人们了解肯塔基州东部和整个阿巴拉契亚地区的山洪暴发情况。这项研究的数据将有助于了解控制山洪暴发的分水岭特性，并将有助于洪灾后分析，以确定2022年7月肯塔基州东部洪灾的机制。这些数据将进一步改进山洪预报技术，这可能有助于减轻未来山洪的影响。山洪--定义为由强降雨或小范围内的水释放导致的流量迅速增加--在世界许多地方被列为与天气有关的最具破坏性的灾害。2022年7月，肯塔基州东部发生山洪暴发，造成至少37人死亡，其中包括4名儿童，数百所房屋被毁。山洪暴发对这一地区来说并不是一个新现象。然而，2022年7月的洪水导致了美国45年来因山洪暴发而死亡人数最多的一次，使其成为有记录以来最致命的山洪暴发之一。该项目的目标是：1)通过收集关键和及时的数据，调查山洪对下游源头河流的影响和行为，从而改进山洪动态的预测和建模；以及2)了解山洪对整个阿巴拉契亚地区源头河流水质的持续影响。为实现研究目标，将开展三项主要研究工作：1)收集易腐烂的高水位线数据；2)采集土壤样本以量化土壤水分状况并进行土壤特性试验，以辅助未来项目的水工模型校准；3)分析地表水和沉积物样本中的雨水指示物。通过这项研究收集的数据最终将被用来创建水力模型，以了解源头尺度上产生的水的速度和体积，并回答与源头对下游山洪的贡献有关的问题。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Kentucky and adjacent Appalachian regions suffer repeated tragic loss of life and property damage due to flash flooding. Flash floods in eastern Kentucky are unique with respect to the frequency, magnitude, duration, and timing of stormwater delivery. However, the mechanisms controlling flash flood generation are poorly understood in this region. The proposed project will inform understanding of flash floods in eastern Kentucky and throughout Appalachia. The data from this study will assist with understanding the watershed properties that control the generation of flash floods and will assist with post-flood analyses to determine the mechanisms of the July 2022 floods in eastern Kentucky. These data will additionally improve flash flood forecasting technology, which may assist with the mitigation of the impacts of future flash floods.Flash floods – defined as the swift increase in discharge caused by intense rainfall or release of water over a small region – rank as the most destructive weather-related hazard in many locations of the world. The July 2022 flash flooding in Eastern Kentucky resulted in at least 37 deaths, including 4 children, with hundreds of homes destroyed. Flash flooding is not a new phenomenon to this region. However, the July 2022 floods resulted in one of the largest number of fatalities due to flash flooding in the US in over 45 years, placing it as one of the deadliest flash floods on record. The objectives of this project are to: 1) investigate the downstream impacts and behavior of flash floods in headwater streams by gathering critical and timely data that will lead to improved prediction and modeling of flash flood dynamics; and 2) understand the continued impact of flash floods on water quality in headwater streams throughout Appalachia. Three main research tasks will be performed to accomplish the research goal: 1) collect perishable high-water mark data, 2) collect soil samples to quantify soil-water condition and perform soil characteristic tests to assist with hydraulic model calibration for future projects, and 3) analyze surface water and sediment samples for stormwater indicators. Data collected through this research will eventually be used to create hydraulic models to understand velocities and volumes of water produced at the headwater-scale and answer questions related to the contribution of headwaters to downstream flash floods.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.