Evaluation of the real-time TRMM-based multi-satellite precipitation analysis for an operational flood prediction system in Nzoia Basin, Lake Victoria, Africa

Many researchers seek to take advantage of the recently available and virtually uninterrupted supply of satellite-based rainfall information as an alternative and supplement to the ground-based observations in order to implement a cost-effective flood prediction in many under-gauged regions around the world. Recently, NASA Applied Science Program has partnered with USAID and African-RCMRD to implement an operational water-hazard warning system, SERVIR-Africa. The ultimate goal of the project is to build up disaster management capacity in East Africa by providing local governmental officials and international aid organizations a practical decision-support tool in order to better assess emerging flood impacts and to quantify spatial extent of flood risk, as well as to respond to such flood emergencies more expediently. The objective of this article is to evaluate the applicability of integrating NASA’s standard satellite precipitation product with a flood prediction model for disaster management in Nzoia, sub-basin of Lake Victoria, Africa. This research first evaluated the TMPA real-time rainfall data against gauged rainfall data from the year 2002 through 2006. Then, the gridded Xinanjiang Model was calibrated to Nzoia basin for period of 1985–2006. Benchmark streamflow simulations were produced with the calibrated hydrological model using the rain gauge and observed L. Li Y. Hong (&) J. Wang School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Center for Natural Hazard and Disaster Center, National Weather Center, University of Oklahoma, 202 W Boyd ET, CEC #334, Norman, OK 73019, USA e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] R. F. Adler F. S. Policelli S. Habib NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA R. F. Adler Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, USA D. Irwn NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812, USA T. Korme L. Okello African Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), Nairobi, Kenya 123 Nat Hazards (2009) 50:109–123 DOI 10.1007/s11069-008-9324-5