Modeling Alex Hurricane: flood map simulation applying Multisensor grid precipitation, Monterrey, Mexico

Abstract

A simulation was carried out in the Santa Catarina River watershed, located in the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to study flood patterns and velocity maps during the occurrence of Hurricane Alex in June-July 2010. To conduct this simulation, a two-dimensional model of the Santa Catarina River Watershed was employed using the HEC-RAS software. The model was driven by Multisensor grid precipitation data as input. Land cover and soil layers were utilized in order to obtain various parameters within the watershed, such as Curve Number, Manning Number, Abstraction Ratio, Infiltration Rate, and Percent of Impervious Land. The simulated water levels were calibrated by comparing them with observed values at the Cadereyta Hydrometric Station, which is located near the city of Monterrey. The utilization of the HEC-RAS two-dimensional model combined with Multisensor grid precipitation demonstrates that this particular model is easy to set up and is user-friendly. Moreover, the model exhibits stability and possesses the ability to accurately simulate flood patterns and velocity maps within the watershed.

Keywords: Floodmap, HEC-RAS 2D, Mexico, Monterrey, MRMS-QPE.