Authors: Taylor Miskin – Brigham Young University
Title: Flood Mapping using TDX-Hydro, AutoRoute, and FabDEM
Abstract: Many areas of the world lack sufficient capacities to create flood maps. There are now large scale hydrologic models which present the opportunity to perform large scale hydraulic modeling. We built country scale modeled flood maps in the Dominican Republic and Ecuador with a simple but computationally efficient hydraulic model using AutoRoute and FloodSpreader. We used 30M FabDEM data, the TDX-Hydro stream network delineated from FabDEM, GEOGloWS modeled streamflows, and land cover rasters to estimate initial roughness values. These inputs are used to solve Manning’s equation estimating velocity and water depth using an assumed average roughness and channel geometry with flood plain elevations coming from a DEM to determine the top-width of the stream and the extent of the flood. These are static steady state simulations to make index maps. We worked with local stakeholders to do simulations that assisted them in flood management and emergency planning activities they asked for. We have not yet identified flood events to use for calibration and validation exercises. We demonstrated the ability to efficiently create modeled flood maps at a large scale. Our method in creating flood maps represents a significant step forward in the fight against the devastating effects of flooding.