Guatemala – Flood Forecasting System

Under funding from USAID’s Hurricane Mitch Reconstruction Program, Riverside Technology, inc. (RTi) worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northrop Grummann, and Guatemala’s Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH) to develop and implement a flood forecasting system for the Río Polochic in Guatemala. The project included installation of a real-time data collection network and implementation of software for flood forecasting.

Satellite Image from Hurricane Mitch

RTi was responsible for hydrometeorological data analysis, hydrologic model calibration, real-time data collection network design, and forecast software implementation. The forecast system collects 15-minute rainfall and streamflow data from stations in and near the river basin. RTi’s RiverTrak® Forecaster software, installed at the Hydrology Department of the INSIVUMEH headquarters in Guatemala City, processes these data to produce forecasts for key points in the river basin. RiverTrak® Forecaster provides summaries of recent rainfall and streamflow observations as well as hydrograph displays of observed and forecasted streamflow. The system runs automatically, but allows the user to edit values and enter Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts, if they are available.

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