Storm Event Characteristics for different Climatic Regions of United States based on IETD for Planning and Analysis of Urban Stormwater Management Infrastructures

Abstract Submission: The planning and design of urban stormwater management infrastructures (i.e., storm sewer systems, SWM Ponds and LID systems) are currently based on the intensity-duration-frequency curves which are derived from local rainfall records. These infrastructures have been built based on the assumption of climate stationarity assumption that is storm event characteristics (e.g., volume, intensity, duration and frequency) do not change over time. Our cities and towns own these infrastructures including their operation and maintenance. Over the last few decades, it has been recognized that climate is changing resulting in changing pattern on the storm event characteristics. Potential climate change can have significant impacts on our existing drainage and stormwater management infrastructures.
To understand and in support of informed decision for adaptation of climate change related issues, the current study proposes an investigative study of storm event characteristics for different climatic regions within the United States. The long-term hourly rainfall records were collected from different climatic regions and will be analyzed based on defined statistical events. Based on the inter-event time definition (IETD) the long-term rainfall records will be discretized into individual statistical events and their characteristics such as event volume, event duration and event intensity will be analyzed to see the trend over last half century. Such information is very critical for our water resources professionals, engineers and local regulatory authorities in evaluating the existing urban drainage infrastructures and future hydrologic analysis and stormwater management.

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