Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction (FFMP)

FFMP Forced FFG Utility

Guide for Users
VERSION 1.0
June 10, 2002

Tom Filiaggi
Decision Assistance Branch
HydroMet Monitoring
NWS - MDL

Beginning in AWIPS 5.2.2, you can provide your own Flash Flood Guidance (FFG) values for use by FFMP. The initial version of this, called 'forcedFFG', is a command line application which is intended to be used before a precipitation event. It can also be used to store values based on different scenarios. In particular, it can be handy in providing better FFG for urban, fire scarred or other such basins for which the FFG provided by the River Forecast Centers (RFCs) is not up to date.

This User's Guide has been set up to provide menu navigation by clicking on the hyper-linked menu selections. To begin, click here.

Duration Menu

     Select Duration
     1) 1 hour
     3) 3 hours
     6) 6 hours
     9) Retrieve File
     0) Go to Exit Menu

After typing 'forcedFFG' on the command line, the first menu you will see is the Duration Menu. From here you can either choose a duration (time frame for the FFG), retrieve the values from a previously saved file, or begin the 'shutdown' of the application (exit).

Area Menu

     Choose Area
     1) Entire Area
     2) County
     3) Basin
     0) Go to Exit Menu

The 'Choose Area' menu allows you to provide FFG adjustments for your entire County Warning Area (CWA) or according to counties or basins that you identify.

Choose County

     Enter County ID(s) :(e.g., VAC015 or more county IDs separated by      space):

Enter the FIPS code for the county(ies) you wish to adjust. Once the list has been entered, you will be asked to enter an adjustment value.

Choose Basin

     Enter Pfafstetter ID(s) :(e.g., 1143284110000
            or more Pfafstetter basin IDs separated by space):

Enter the Pfafstetter IDs for the basin(s) you wish to adjust. Once the list has been entered, you will be asked to enter an adjustment value.

Choose File

     Input the name of the file containing changes (do not enter extension      .ffg as it will be appended automatically.):

After entering a filename and successfully opening that file, you will be presented with a summary of the adjustments contained in that file and the time at which the file was created. You are then asked:

     Do you accept the changes (y/n)?

If you answer "n" for 'no', you are sent to the Duration Menu. If you answer "y" for 'yes', you are sent to the Exit Menu, from which you may edit the adjustments in the file or apply the adjustments to FFMP, etc.

FFG Adjustment

      Enter Change Value
              (e.g., 2.4 for creating new/replacing current value,
            +2.4 for adding 2.4 to current value,
            -2.4 for subtracting 2.4 from current value):

There are 3 methods 'forcedFFG' provides for adjusting FFG: replacement, addition, subtraction. Entering in just a number will replace or override the current FFG value with the value you have provided. Preceding a number with a "+" or "-" will adjust the current FFG in the manner specified, either adding the value to or subtracting the value from the current FFG.

Once you have entered an adjustment value, you will be asked if you wish to provide more adjustments for the type of area you are changing (county or basin). If you answer "n" for 'no', you will be sent back to the Area Menu. If you answer "y" for 'yes', you will be asked for either more county identifiers or basin identifiers, whichever type you are adjusting..

Exit Menu

    Exit
           1) Apply changes to FFMP and exit.
    2) Save changes to retrievable FFG configuration file, and exit.
    3) Apply FFG changes to FFMP, save to retrievable FFG configuration     file, and exit.
    4) Back to first menu.
          0) Exit application.

There are several action combinations that can be taken upon exiting the 'forcedFFG' utility.

               •Applying the changes, means that the FFMP processor will see your changes when it goes through its next cycle.               This means that, whatever forced values you have provided and applied, FFMP will use them in monitoring the               basins in your CWA as well as in FFMP's graphical displays (in the D2D). When you apply the changes, you will               be told to:

Enter Forced FFG expiration time in hours (integer, 0 for indefinite):





        The number of hours you enter will be how long FFMP will recognize and use these adjustments to FFG. Once the         forced FFG has expired, FFMP will return to using the FFG provided by the RFCs.

•Saving the changes will write the adjustments to a file. This file can be retrieved at a later date, using the 'forcedFFG' utility, and applied to FFMP again.

•Exiting will close down the 'forcedFFG' utility and return you to the command line.

•Choosing to go back to the first menu will provide you the opportunity to continue to change your adjustments or to edit the contents of a file. (To edit the contetns of a file, you must re-save that file after making the desired changes.)




Save File



     Enter filename in which your changes are saved(.ffg will be added      automatically as extension):



When saving adjustments to a file, you will first be provided with a summary of the changes you made that will be saved in that file. After entering a file name, you will be informed of any problems before the application closes. If no problem messages are seen, then the file was saved successfully. Click here to go back to the Exit Menu.

  

                  DAB | MDL | NWS | NOAA | DOC
              SCAN | Fog Monitor | FSI | SAFESEAS | GUARDIAN | SNOW