The Construction of a Flood Monitoring System with Alert Distribution Using Google Earth and 3D GIS

Locations of floods are not always known. Persons nearby for whom there is a possibility of danger due to flooding need information with which to predict flooding and to find refuge quickly and accurately. A Web-based Flood Monitoring System (FMS) using Google Earth and 3D GIS has been developed by employing Google Earth pro v. 6.0 and ArcGIS 10.0 (ESRI). The FMS provides a viewer for Windows PCs and smart phones. This viewer provides information consisting of digital elevation data from a 2 m Digital Surface Model (DSM) integrating 1:2500 digital topographic maps from the Geographical Survey Institute of Japan with official river information from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan and local river offices. It includes flood simulations and hazard maps from local governments. Users are able to download KML file data and/or Shape file data for private use. In addition, a reporting system for preregistered users who want immediate information has been prepared for alert and flood information.