Application of National Weather Service Flood Inundation Maps: Case Study Examples from North Central Texas

In order to properly assess potential impacts to life and property during high impact river flood events, it is critical to obtain the most comprehensive flood information. One way the National Weather Service (NWS) is advancing the science in this area is with the development of Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) services. These real-time FIM services represent part of a developing suite of next-generation water prediction services connecting the latest innovations and technologies for enhancing river flood forecasts and risk-based decision making. Essentially, FIM puts “water on a map” to show the areal extent of floodwaters, and this technology allows decision makers to quickly analyze potential impacts.

Two significant flood events that impacted North and Central Texas will be highlighted here: Bosque County, Texas in October 2023 and Waco, Texas in May 2024. The new FIM services from the NWS were provided in near real-time to local emergency managers, which notably aided in rescue and recovery efforts for each of these events. This presentation will showcase the flood events, the services provided, and how FIM was used in emergency management operations. The presentation will also discuss their accuracy as determined from a post-event verification survey assessment and feedback from local emergency managers.