About the Flood Inundation Map Program

About

History of the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) Program

2002: Washington State Dynamic Snoqualmie Model Report. - First FIM library with on-demand mapping during a flood event. FloodPath's dynamic mapping is only turned on during events.
2007: North Carolina Tar River lidar derived FIM report - First project to detail the lidar processing needed to support flood inundation mapping and document the standard FIM methodology
2008: Midwest floods spark a discussion about starting a uniform USGS FIM initiative
2010: April -- First preliminary FIM website, guidance, and templates released online
June -- First FIM coordination meeting in Atlanta. The FIM Mapper is launched with the Findlay, Ohio, library. The prospectus outlining the FIM Program is finalized
Fall -- FIM Toolbox is released with guidance documents
December -- Second FIM Coordination meeting in Louisville
2011 (January): USGS Scientific Investigations Map template is distributed via the Toolbox. FIM becomes a National Program with Office of Surface Water leadership
2012 (November): Started working with the National Weather Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on an interagency FIM requirements team, Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (IWRSS). The first regional FIM team is formed in the Midwest Area (remaining regional teams formed in 2013).
2013 (December): FIM Program Strategic meeting
2014: May -- SIR Template is released via the Toolbox
June -- National FIM Strategic Planning meeting
2015: February -- Release of USGS FIM Policy Memorandums and updated FIM Toolbox

Partners

Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (IWRSS)

• IWRSS information - Weather.gov (PDF)
• IWRSS Road Map from NOAA (PDF)
• IWRSS one page summary (PDF)
• For more information: Westgov.org (PDF)

FIM-related Publications

June 2010 National Coordination Meeting, Atlanta, Ga.
Flood Hazards - A National Threat
USGS Survey Fact Sheet 2006-3026
Facing Tomorrow's Challenges - U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007-2017
Report describing major USGS Science Directions; flood-inundation mapping science is relevant to the following major science directions:

• A National Hazards, Risk, and Resilience Assessment Program: Ensuring the Long-Term Health and Wealth of the Nation
• Climate Variability and Change: Clarifying the Record and Assessing Consequences
• Understanding Ecosystems and Predicting Ecosystem Change: Ensuring the Nation's Economic and Environmental Future

National Weather Service Inundation Maps served through the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service.

Hearn, Paul P., Jr., Longenecker, Herbert E., III, Aguinaldo, John J., Rahav, Ami N., 2013, Delivering Integrated HAZUS-MH Flood Loss Analyses and Flood Inundation Maps Over the Web: Journal of Emergency Management, v. 11, p. 293-302.

Bales, J.D., and Wagner, C.R., 2009, Sources of uncertainty in flood inundation maps: J. of Flood Risk Management , 2(2):139-147, doi: 10.1111/j.1753-318X.2009.01029.x.