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Introducing Flashiness-Intensity-Duration-Frequency (F-IDF): A New Metric to Quantify Flash Flood Intensity
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  • Zhi Li,
  • Shang Gao,
  • Mengye Chen,
  • Jiaqi Zhang,
  • Jonathan J. Gourley,
  • Yixin Wen,
  • Tiantian Yang,
  • Yang Hong
Zhi Li
university of Oklahoma
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Shang Gao
University of Oklahoma
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Mengye Chen
University of Oklahoma
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Jiaqi Zhang
University of Oklahoma
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Jonathan J. Gourley
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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Yixin Wen
University of Florida
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Tiantian Yang
School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, USA
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Yang Hong
University of Oklahoma

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Flash flooding is one of the most damaging weather types, yet it remains challenging to quantify its severity. We propose a novel development – the Flashiness-Intensity-Duration-Frequency (F-IDF) curve – to quantify and spatially analyze flash flood intensity based on the frequency and duration of the event. As a proof-of-concept, we mapped Contiguous US (CONUS)-wide F-IDF values at 3,722 stream gage locations and explored their relations with 59 basin attributes. It is found that (1) Climatological precipitation amounts exhibit the most positive correlation with flashiness while a basin’s drainage area is the most negatively correlated; (2) Correlation of flashiness with basin attributes decreases with increasing F-IDF return periods and shorter event durations. Both aspects are attributable to the rainfall signal overwhelming the underlying basin attributes as the intensities become more extreme. This new term can have implications for hydrology, especially for hydrologic modelers, decision-makers, and emergency responders.
15 Jun 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
23 Jun 2023Published in ESS Open Archive