Development of an internet-based rainfall atlas for Alabama

In the United States, rainfall information needed for intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves or design storm hyetographs can be found in TP 40, HYDRO-35, and the NOAA Atlas 2. Additional rainfall data collected since the dates of those publications, and improved methods for statistical treatment of data, have motivated update studies in several regions of the United States. One of the new studies has been performed for the State of Alabama. Results of the Alabama study are embodied in an internet-based graphical user interface, which permits users to interactively point and click on a geographical location of interest, and have IDF curves and/or storm hyetographs returned on demand. Reactions to the internet-based rainfall atlas have been promising, and have led to additional work for the National Weather Service, Office of Hydrologic Development.