Interactive Flood Simulation (IFS): Phases 1- 3

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Maricopa County’s vast and unique geography and storm patterns, combined with a growing population that includes large numbers of part-time residents, create challenges for educating people about the unique aspects of desert flooding. News articles, flyers and other outreach pieces can provide data and safety tips but do not give the resident a real sense of the dangers from flooding. Washes and rivers that are void of water most the year but, then, produce rapid flowing waves of water during storms often catch residents by surprise. People may also find themselves in harm’s way by being near a structure built too close to a wash or while driving on a road that crosses a flowing wash. FCD staff were tasked with finding methods to give the citizen a way to interactively participate in flood simulations so they can better understand the risks and avoid them. The three-part Interactive Flood Simulation Project was created to take the flood risk education to the public. The project offers a chance for people to physically create options in a flood simulation model as a flood occurs and explore more scenarios through the web application.