Extreme Precipitation Events and Population Exposure: Site Recommendations for the Future Tennessee Mesonet

This study examines frequency of and population exposure to extreme rainfall events in Tennessee to guide the placement of future mesonet weather stations. Using 1991-2021 daily nClimGrid precipitation records, extreme events were defined as events of rainfall ≥50 mm. These events were collated on an annual scale and normalized alongside square-root-scaled population densities derived from Landscan to develop extreme rainfall vulnerability maps. Results highlight where extreme rainfall is most frequent relative to population densities in each county. The findings were compared with models of mesonet suitability and feasibility to determine how meteorological needs correlate with siting needs such as land cover/topography, distance to infrastructure, vulnerability to flooding, and soil types. Gaps where exposure to heavy precipitation did not align well with siting needs were identified. Analysis reveals disparities between optimal meteorological siting and suitability siting of mesonet infrastructure that should be considered prior to final site selection.