Flood Research
In 2019, the 86th Texas Legislature appropriated funding to the TWDB to support a variety of flood-related efforts, including research on topics of priority regarding flood. The TWDB subsequently initiated the Flood Priority Research Program and formed a TWDB Flood Priority Research Steering Committee, made up of TWDB staff, to develop research initiatives and oversee the program. In the program's first biennium (Fiscal Years 2020 - 2021), $600,000 was allocated to pursue four flood priority research projects:
- Creating a Flood Resource Guide for Flood Officials and Communities
- Creating a Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) Guidance Document for communities
- Assessing the Causes and Predictability of Extreme High Rainfall and Linkages to Flooding in Texas
- Updating the Texas Statewide Highwater Marks Inventory
More detailed information on these projects is included in the list of Fiscal Years 2020-2021 Projects below.
During the 2022 - 2023 biennium, $700,000 was made available to support flood priority research, and five topics were chosen for funding:
- Effective Flood Awareness Communication
- Infrastructure Assessment Methodologies
- Model for Calculating Agricultural Flood Loss
- Nature-based Solutions for Flood Mitigation in Texas
- Developing Future Rainfall Frequency Grids
Note that funding for some projects is augmented by sources other than the Flood Priority Research Program, and occasional flood research projects are developed exclusively using funding from other sources. Information on each project is provided below.
All project completion dates are estimates and are subject to change. Reports or other products developed by contractors may not be immediately available upon project completion as the TWDB may consider further modifications prior to public release.
For questions on the Flood Priority Research Program or specific projects, please send an email to floodpriorityresearch@twdb.texas.gov.
FY 2020- 2021 Projects
Improving Flood Education and Communication in Texas
- Project summary:
- Anywhere it can rain it can flood. Communicating flood risk to communities has been a major challenge for community leaders. This project identified, assessed, and reported on the status of current flood education and communication efforts in Texas. To achieve these goals, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin - Moody College of Communication conducted a literature review to identify existing flood communication efforts, prepared a gap analysis on existing flood education and outreach, and conducted interviews with local officials to generate evidence-based data on the influence of flood-related messaging language on Texas audiences. The results of this project are intended to be useful to audiences across Texas, with a focus on improving flood literacy through both long-term and incident-specific messaging.
- Project deliverable(s):
- A best-practices guide for local officials to provide effective flood education and three proposals to showcase options for addressing flood education and communication gaps in Texas based on varying levels of funding.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- The University of Texas at Austin - Moody College of Communication, Dr. Keri Stephens
- Contract amount:
- $94,967
- Project lead:
- Yi Ling Chan
- Project timeline:
- July 2020 - October 2021
Flood Early Warning Systems (FEWS) Guidance Document
- Project summary:
- Flood early warning system (FEWS) can be essential for reducing loss of life during flood events. However, getting started with developing a FEWS can be challenging, particularly for smaller communities. For this project, the TWDB contracted with the University of Texas Arlington to develop a FEWS guidance document. The first objective of this project was to conduct outreach to communities around the state who have recently invested in FEWS and gain feedback on their experiences with FEWS. The second objective was to create a guidance document using this feedback and thorough research on available technical information. This guidance document is informed by Texas experiences and tailored to conditions in Texas. It provides a roadmap for Texas community leaders and others interested in establishing or updating a FEWS.
- Project deliverable(s):
- A guidance document for communities on how to implement flood early warning systems.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- The University of Texas at Arlington, Dr. Nick Fang
- Contract amount:
- $250,000
- Project lead:
- Cody Ransone
- Project timeline:
- January 2021 - August 2022
Atmospheric Rivers
- Project summary:
-
Texas is repeatedly subjected to extreme rainfall events, resulting in flooding, catastrophic loss of life, infrastructural losses, and major impacts to water and wastewater treatment facilities. Several impactful flood events in recent years were not associated with hurricanes, tropical storms, or extratropical cyclones but with other large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. The goals of this project were to detect and classify these events in addition to understanding their origins, physical mechanisms, and evolution. This knowledge will help Texas and other regions in the south-central U.S. increase preparedness for floods and better plan for water resources management. This project addressed the following questions:
- What are the drivers of extreme rainfall over Texas that are not related to the tropical cyclones within the last seven decades (1948-2020)?
- Are atmospheric rivers and events with high integrated water vapor transport over Texas predictable?
- Project deliverable(s):
- A report on the findings of this research.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- The University of Texas at Austin - Bureau of Economic Geology, Dr. Bridget Scanlon
- Contract amount:
- $95,392
- Project lead:
- Nelun Fernando
- Project timeline:
- April 2021 - December 2022
Highwater Mark Collection Assessment
- Project summary:
- Listed on the Texas Natural Resources Inventory System DataHub as the Highwater Marks Inventory 2014, these data represent highwater marks documented in the field by trained technicians following flood events along rivers and the coast. Applications of these data by local, state, and federal partners include estimations of peak stream flow, calibration of models, updates to flood hazard maps, and flood inundation mapping efforts. This project aimed to determine the feasibility of reviving this Highwater Marks Inventory dataset from 2014 to better inform flood science and decision making in Texas. Per the United States Geological Survey, “Documenting the peak height of high water is important information for historical purposes and for planning future development alongside rivers.”
- Project deliverable(s):
- A report to determine the feasibility of reviving the Highwater Marks Inventory for Texas.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- AECOM Engineering
- Contract amount:
- $191,940
- Project lead:
- Nathan Brock
- Project timeline:
- April 2022 - December 2022
FY 2022- 2023 Projects
Effective Flood Awareness Communication
- Project summary:
-
Many Texans are unaware of their flood risk. According to a survey conducted by the University of Texas at Austin in 2021, there are almost no differences in Texans' perception of their flood risk based on whether they live in a flood-prone zip code or not. In order to help reduce loss of life and protect property during flood events, it is essential that Texans better understand their flood risk. The goals of this project are to
- Identify end-users for a flood awareness campaign,
- Create a flood awareness outreach campaign for the identified end-users, and to
- Develop best practices for effective flood risk communication for the identified end-users.
- Project deliverable(s):
- Flood communication campaign materials and implementation strategy for communities in Texas.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- The University of Texas at Austin - Moody College of Communication, Dr. Keri Stephens
- Contract amount:
- $239,938
- Project lead:
- Kate DeGennaro and Raddiete Sogaolu
- Project timeline:
- August 2022 - August 31, 2023
Infrastructure Assessment Methodologies
- Project summary:
-
The regional flood planning process asks each of the 15 Texas flood planning regions to identify its flood infrastructure and the associated condition (functional vs non-functional; deficient vs. non-deficient). Few communities have been able to generate and provide this information during the first planning cycle, which is currently underway.
The goal of this research is to develop readily usable planning-level infrastructure condition assessment methods, including a toolkit for assessing the condition of flood infrastructure at a regional planning level for future planning cycles. This research will also look at infrastructure assessment indicators currently identified in the TWDB Flood Planning Program and recommend enhancements as applicable. - Project deliverable(s):
-
A toolkit to support two levels of flood infrastructure assessment:
- A high-level assessment template that can be used directly by a city or county engineer, and
- A more sophisticated version that consultants or municipal staff, including those supporting the regional flood planning groups, can employ. This option may entail more sophisticated efforts, including use of GIS and other technical expertise.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- To Be Determined
- Contract amount:
- Approximately $200,000
- Project lead:
- Reem Zoun
- Project timeline:
- September 2022 - February 2024
Model for Calculating Agricultural Flood Loss
- Project summary:
- There have been many studies on economic losses on agricultural lands due to drought. However, there is little knowledge of economic losses due to flooding events. For this project, the TWDB will contract with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to create a model for calculating economic losses due to flooding events on agricultural lands. For their first task, AgriLife Extension will perform an extensive literature review on existing methods. Using their findings, AgriLife Extension will create a Microsoft Excel-based tool for estimating economic losses due to flooding events. This tool will help farmers and local planners better assess potential economic damages due to flooding on agricultural lands.
- Project deliverable(s):
- A Microsoft Excel-based tool for estimating economic losses of crops and/or livestock due to flooding events, a report describing the literature review and the tool's methodology, and a user guide for the tool.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- Contract amount:
- $90,448
- Project lead:
- Heather Rose
- Project timeline:
- September 2022 - June 2024
Nature-based Solutions for Flood Mitigation in Texas
- Project summary:
-
The goal of this project is to synthesize guidance on the use of nature-based flood mitigation solutions into a single, statewide manual for Texas communities. The intent is to help address flood risk, water quality, groundwater recharge, habitat improvement, and community enhancement goals as independent nature-based solutions or in combination with traditional flood mitigation infrastructure. There have been many studies on this subject; however, more focused guidance that considers the efficacy of nature-based solutions within the various geographic regions of Texas is needed to support regional and statewide flood planning efforts and to help guide Texas communities to better understand and utilize these approaches.
The TWDB will contract with Freese and Nichols to examine and describe the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a variety of possible nature-based solutions for varying regions in Texas. The focus of this research is to identify the variety of nature-based solutions best suited for floods of varying magnitudes; the types of associated flood mitigation benefits, including additional co-benefits within social, ecologic, and economic categories; and the various methods by which these benefits may be described and quantified. - Project deliverable(s):
- A guidance document for communities on pursuing nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Texas.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- Freese and Nichols
- Contract amount:
- Approximately $200,000
- Project lead:
- Kelley Rich
- Project timeline:
- September 2022 - February 2024
Developing Future Rainfall Frequency Grids
- Project summary:
- Texas is vulnerable to flooding driven by extreme storm events. Designing hydraulic structures such as dams, levees, and bridges planned to last for many decades should account for potential future changes in rainfall frequencies. For this project, the TWDB will contract with Texas A&M University to develop projected future rainfall frequency grids for the state of Texas by incorporating information from historic trends and climate model projections. These future rainfall grids can be utilized for future flood mapping, planning, hydraulic infrastructure design projects, and in flood mitigation efforts.
- Project deliverable(s):
- A report on projected future rainfall frequency grids for the state of Texas incorporating information from historic trends and model projections.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- Texas A&M University, Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas State Climatologist
- Contract amount:
- Approximately $130,000
- Project lead:
- Rewati Niraula
- Project timeline:
- September 2022 - June 2024
Non-Flood Priority Research Funded Research
Benefit Cost Analysis Guidance Document
- Project summary:
- A benefit-cost analysis (BCA) remains the most common measure used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a proposed flood mitigation project and affects whether, and in what priority, projects are funded. As the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) states, BCA is a method for determining the potential positive effects of a mitigation measure and comparing them to the cost of the measure. The primary purpose of this project is to develop a Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) Guidance document that identifies scalable approaches to BCA and a range of new damage/benefit tables to support communities and professionals in developing more reasonable, and comprehensive, benefit to cost ratios (BCR) for different levels of analysis. This includes detailed BCAs for specific, identified projects that are seeking financial assistance as well as broader BCAs for general planning purposes.
- Project deliverable(s):
- A guidance document for communities on best practices and improvements for completing a BCA.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- AECOM
- Contract amount:
- Approximately $225,000
- Project lead:
- Jenna Rao
- Project timeline:
- July 2022 - August 2024
Approximate Bridge Modeling Automation
- Project summary:
- The goal of this project is to develop tools and workflows to automate the incorporation of LiDAR-derived bridge decks into Base Level Engineering (BLE) HEC-RAS hydraulic models. The tool is called LAS2RAS. The tool and workflows are designed to work with one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) HEC-RAS models. This project is funded by an inter-agency partnership between TWDB and TxDOT. Project execution is supported by our contractors: AECOM and Stantec, who are leading the overall product development. AECOM is focused on HEC-RAS 1D model automation while Stantec is focused on HEC-RAS 2D. Expected outcomes include a desktop tool, a single codebase for both 1D and 2D models and sensitivity analyses. The tool development aspect of this project is built on the outcome of another effort between TxDOT and University of Texas at Austin (UT), called TX-BRIDGE. TX-Bridge generates three-dimensional (3D) bridge profiles by combining high resolution LiDAR data and National Bridge Inventory (NBI). These 3D profiles provide the foundational input data source for the LAS2RAS tool. In addition to tool development, the LAS2RAS project includes sensitivity analysis of the tool and its outputs. These analyses include an in-depth comparison of model results under different scenarios - including and excluding bridges in the HECRAS models. The comparisons are expected to help assess the accuracy of automated bridge hydraulic calculations. Additionally, the sensitivity analyses are expected to quantify the range of effort (labor hours) that should be anticipated when applying the tool and its automated process.
- Project deliverable(s):
- Deliverables of this project include LAS2RAS code base, a desktop tool compatible with HEC-RAS (version: 6.3.1), sensitivity analyses and documentation. Documentation includes a suite of components including tool design and algorithm, user guide, tool limitations, and the results of sensitivity analyses. The deliverables also include virtual training sessions on how to use the tool.
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- Stantec and AECOM
- Contract amount:
- Approximately $600,000
- Project lead:
- Srikanth Koka, P.E.
- Project timeline:
- January 2023 - August 2024
Low-Cost Flood Sensor Guidance Manual
- Project summary:
- Through research, community and stakeholder engagement, and on-the-ground testing, a Guidance Document will be developed that communities can use to identify, install, and operate a commercially available and scalable low-cost flood sensor (LCFS) flood warning system (FWS) that provides real-time flood alert communications at roadways. The project tasks involve desktop research, stakeholder engagement, community analysis, pilot project development, and guidance document preparation.
- Project deliverable(s):
- A guidance document for communities on best practices for using low-cost flood sensor warning systems
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- AtkinsRéalis, Inc. & WEST Consultants, Inc.
- Contract amount:
- Approximately $225,000
- Project lead:
- Tatum Lauten and Cody Ransone
- Project timeline:
- December 2023 - August 2025
Compound Flooding
- Project summary:
- This project will investigate the potential of identifying flood transition zones prone to compound flooding along the Texas coast due to rainfall-runoff and storm surge processes. This modeling project will utilize a high-resolution Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) model, a well-known and extensively validated model for coastal processes including tides, wind, waves, river inflows, and inundation. This project will significantly advance capabilities in identifying flood transition zones where storm surge and riverine flow affect water surface elevation and will provide new tools and products for decision-makers along the Texas coast. This initial study will pave the way for future studies where we may combine ADCIRC with rainfall-runoff models such as HEC-RAS, appropriate for each watershed.
- Project deliverable(s):
-
- Modified ADCIRC models with proper resolution within the estuarine systems and flow boundary conditions for all gaged and ungaged watersheds (USGS and TXRR)
- List of the 20 storms selected for this project with associated tide, wind, and flow data after selection process in Task 2 is complete
- Scripts for post processing the results
- GIS shapefiles
- Data and software used
- Final report that includes an appendix with TWDB comments and contractor response
- Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- UT Austin, Dr. Clint Dawson
- Contract amount:
- $125,000 (will increase with an amendment)
- Project lead:
- Amin Kiaghadi, Ph.D., P.E.
- Project timeline:
- March 2022 - August 2024
Year 2060 Floodplain Maps for Texas
- Project summary:
-
The TWDB flood planning division is currently working with Fathom, Aqua Strategies (ASI) and AECOM to develop future condition flood hazard coverage for the entire state of Texas for the year 2026. The analysis is expected to account for future climate variability and associated rainfall patterns, sea level rise, land subsidence and land use change. Flood hazard information will be developed for 5, 10, 25, 100 and 500-year return periods.
This dataset will be made available to the regional flood planning groups for their consideration as a consistent statewide future condition flood hazard dataset. - Project deliverable(s):
-
Five 3m floodplain raster coverage datasets (one for each precipitation return period) for the entire state for each of the three future climate scenarios modeled, plus the 100-year climate only dataset. A total of sixteen 3m raster datasets will be produced for TWDB.
The deliverables also include flood extent polygon shapefiles for the regional flood planning groups. - Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):
- AECOM
- Contract amount:
- Approximately $460,000.
- Project lead:
- Reem Zoun, P.E., CFM; Tressa Olsen, CFM
- Project timeline:
- April 2023 - June/July 2024