Developing a Real-Time Flash Flood Early Warning System for the Tra River Basin: Combining Field Surveys and Hydrological Modeling

This study developed a real-time flash flood warning system for Vietnam’s Tra River basin by integrating field-based bankfull discharge data with an HEC-HMS hydrological model. Field surveys were conducted to identify bankfull indicators, enabling a regression model to estimate bankfull discharge thresholds. The HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff model, rigorously calibrated and validated, provides real-time discharge predictions at flood-prone sites. The system issues timely warnings by continuously comparing the predicted flows with bankfull thresholds and empowers communities and authorities to take proactive measures. This approach bridges the gap between empirical data and modeling, offering a scalable solution for flash flood mitigation in vulnerable watersheds.