AI in Flood Forecasting Quiz

Answers and explanations appear as you take the quiz.

1. In a river-flood workflow, how do hydrologic and inundation models differ?
   • Hydrology estimates water flow, while inundation modeling estimates where water may spread
   • Both directly predict earthquake waves
   • Hydrology edits satellite photos and inundation translates text
   • They measure only air temperature
2. What role can NOAA’s National Water Model play alongside official forecasts?
   • Replace every local warning and evacuation decision
   • Provide simulated observed and forecast streamflow to complement NWS products
   • Guarantee the exact depth at every street address
   • Measure future rainfall without a model
3. Why can a recurrent model such as an LSTM be used in river-flow forecasting?
   • It guarantees correct river levels without observations
   • It measures discharge directly with no sensors
   • It can represent sequential inputs and dependencies over time
   • It removes uncertainty from weather forecasts
4. What lead time does Google’s November 2024 flood-model announcement describe?
   • Up to 2 hours
   • Up to 6 months
   • Only after flooding starts
   • Up to about 7 days
5. How did Google distinguish two coverage groups in its November 2024 flood-model announcement?
   • 100 countries with verified data and up to 150 with data based on virtual gauges
   • Every street worldwide with verified depths
   • Only one country with no forecasts elsewhere
   • Every coastal storm surge with guaranteed evacuation time
6. A practical benefit of accurate flood forecasts is:
   • Stopping rain from falling
   • Timing evacuations and pre-positioning rescue resources
   • Eliminating the need for dams
   • Predicting earthquakes
7. Why are ungauged basins difficult for traditional river forecasting?
   • They receive no rainfall
   • They cannot be mapped
   • They lack local streamflow observations for calibration and validation
   • They never experience floods
8. What is one limitation of riverine flood forecasts for flash flooding?
   • They give exact street-level outcomes everywhere
   • They reliably predict every flash flood
   • They replace local emergency services
   • They may not resolve rapid local runoff and urban drainage hazards at the same scale