ASDSO Dam Safety Toolbox

On-Demand Webinar: PMP and the History of HMRs

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Association of State Dam Safety Officials, 2012



Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) is used to compute the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) that in turn is used by federal and state regulators to evaluate the safety of dams. The concept of an upper limit for precipitation was presented in the 1940’s with procedures for determining PMP values developed by the Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service), the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation. The definition of PMP will be presented and discussed along with how theoretical values for PMP are determined. A brief historical review of Hydrometeorological Reports (HMRs) along with discussions on the evolution of PMP determination procedures in the current HMRs from HMR 49 to HMR 59 will be provided. A summary of the steps followed will be presented along with examples of the procedures used. Lastly, the differences between generalized and site-specific PMP will be discussed. Questions related to the HMRs and site-specific PMP studies will be addressed.

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Speaker(s): Edward M. Tomlinson


Revision ID: 2214
Revision Date: 08/18/2022