Hazardous weather conditions threaten countless communities each year, from impending hurricanes and winter storms to sudden flash-flooding events and wildfires. New vehicle technologies, such as electric batteries, may be more prone to catching fire when encountering flooded roadways. These modern hazards pose new threats to ensuring communities can be safely evacuated and emergency responders can efficiently go in to save lives and property. Furthermore, these hazards extend well beyond our own borders as they represent a global challenge.

NSF NCAR RAL Scientists, as part of a National Science Foundation-funded Global Center (see Partner list below), are exploring how long-term weather modeling combined with high-resolution microscale modeling can give street-by-street guidance about  these future weather hazards. This information is critical to ensure roads and bridges can withstand future environmental stressors and advanced vehicle technologies can navigate dynamic and disparate operational environments.

Partners

• CLEETS Global Center