Creating a flood inundation model

In this next example, we'll begin to enter the world of hydrology. Flooding is one of the most common and devastating natural disasters which affects nearly every population on the globe. Geospatial models are a powerful tool in estimating the impact of a flood and mitigating that impact before it happens. We often hear on the news that a river is reaching flood stage. But that information is meaningless if we can't understand the impact. Hydrological flood models are expensive to develop and can be infinitely complex. These models are essential for engineers building flood control systems. However, first responders and potential flood victims are only interested in the impact of an impending flood.

We can begin to understand the flooding impact in an area using a very simple and easy-to-comprehend tool called a flood inundation model. This model starts with a single point and floods an area with the maximum volume of water that a flood basin can hold at...