Flood Analytics

Project summary:

Building upon the results of flood hazard mapping efforts, such as Base Level Engineering (BLE), and leveraging the outcomes of outreach activities under the Texas Integrated Flooding Framework (TIFF) program, the Flood Analytics Framework aims to generate flood risk assessments. These assessments include damage estimates in monetary terms and other representative risk metrics. The Framework also tracks changes in risk over time, leverages existing approaches, and reimagines new ways to communicate flood risk.

Accomplishing these goals may involve activities such as estimating expected flood damages, maintaining and updating data over time, and building a platform or web application for flood-related data management and visualization using new capabilities to advance Flood resilience and research in Texas.

To ensure the success and usefulness of this framework, extensive outreach efforts will be undertaken. Sample outreach efforts include defining potential end-users (i.e., the public or entities who use flood-related products and information) and identifying additional stakeholders. These stakeholders may include academic institutions, consulting firms, state and federal agencies, research organizations, and non-profit organizations who may have an interest in a flood analytics framework.

The base framework development will occur in two main phases. The first phase, through extensive engagement with stakeholders and users, will generate the initial design of the analytics and prototypes and a menu of options for TWDB to consider full implementation and deployment. In the second phase, which may include multiple initiatives and projects, the chosen options from Phase One will be designed, produced, and deployed.

Phase 1 Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):

Freese & Nichols, Inc.

Project Leads:

Srikanth Koka, PE

Phase 1 Project Timeline:

Winter 2025 - Spring 2026