Overview

A common output from a flood study is a suite of flood inundation maps. These maps typically show flood characteristics and the flooding status on an individual property. As such, the maps provide a valuable flood intelligence resource in emergency flood response operations. However, the maps are often provided as a hard copy and/or in a specific GIS application format. This can limit their ready use. The hard copy maps generally show a maximum flood extent for a given gauge height and/or design flood event. From a maximum extent flood map, little understanding can be gained to how the flood moves, and where the breakouts occur first.

Floodzone is a web-based flood mapping application that links property and inundation information through GIS aimed to improve emergency response planning before a flood event and operations during a flood event. The interface enables users to visually interrogate the catalogue of study areas and associated simulations of flood events, to spatially visualise flood risk, and for distributing flood event data to users requiring more sophisticated analysis. Flood animations can be viewed and to gain insight to flood movement. The use of web-based application removes the need of local installation of commercial software. The web-based format of the interface allows access for a variety of stakeholders including relevant agencies and the community.

Floodzone can readily convert flood mapping outputs from a variety of hydraulic modelling and GIS packages. The ease of implement enables significant extra value to realise from the considerable investment in a detailed flood study, at minimal additional cost.

Floodzone has been implemented for Shepparton-Mooroopna (Greater Shepparton City Council) and Nathalia (Moira Shire). There is growing interest from DSE and various CMA for a wider application of Floodzone.

Floodzone has been jointly developed between Water Technology and Environmental Systems Solutions.

For further details, please contact Steve Muncaster – Team Leader Floodplain Management