Hydraulic Numerical Models Meeting the Minimum Requirement of National Flood Insurance Program

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration
500 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472

cHECk-RAS

Yes

cHECk-RAS is a program designed to verify the validity of an assortment of parameters found in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) HEC-RAS hydraulic modeling program. cHECk-RAS utilizes information generated by HEC-RAS (all versions through the latest version, 4.1.0.) This program can run only on computers with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or 7 (32- or 64-bit) operating systems. The current version of cHECk-RAS in use is 2.0.1.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

For water surface elevation difference due to use of different HEC-RAS versions, refer to FEMA Memorandum HEC-RAS Version Updates (August 17, 2004)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

The River Analysis System is able to model spatially and time varying precipitation and infiltration to 2D flow Areas, Storage areas, and between 1D cross sections. Three infiltration methods are available; Initial and Constant Loss method and the SCS method, and Green and Ampt method.

Calibration runs against available gage or other study data should be used wherever possible to validate model output.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

The River Analysis System is able to model excess precipitation applied directly to a 2D flow area. Losses and infiltration are not currently able to be computed within RAS, so excess precipitation should be determined using separate approved hydrologic methods or software (such as HEC-HMS) prior to applying it within the model domain.

Calibration runs against available gage or other study data should be used wherever possible to validate model output.

U.S. Department of Transportation,
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Federal Highway Administration

Yes

Computes water-surface elevations for flow through multiple parallel culverts and over the road embankment.

Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems
685 Stockton Drive
Exton, PA 19341

No

Cannot model ineffective flow areas. HEC-RAS or an equivalent program must be used to model tail water conditions when ineffective flow areas must be considered.

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration
500 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472

FEMA Flood Hazard Mapping Software

Yes

Intended for use in areas studied by approximate methods (Zone A) only. May be used to develop water-surface elevations at one cross section or a series of cross sections. May not be used to develop a floodway.

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration
500 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472

RASPLOT

n/a

RASPLOT is a computer program developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which allows the user to create flood profiles through the automatic extraction of data from Hydraulic Engineering Centers River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) hydraulic modeling files. Flood profiles are required for inclusion in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports which usually accompany the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for communities participating in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.

Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems
685 Stockton Drive
Exton, PA 19341

No

Only applicable to watershed, which has the drainage area to each inlet of less than 300 acres.

Los Angeles Flood Control District and Joseph E. Bonadiman & Associates, Inc.

Joseph E. Bonadiman & Associates, Inc.
234 N. Arrowhead Avenue,
San Bernardino, CA 92408

No

Windows version of WSPG. Computes water-surface profiles and pressure gradients for open channels and closed conduits. Can analyze multiple parallel pipes. Road overtopping cannot be computed. Open channels are analyzed using the standard step method but roughness coefficient cannot vary across the channel. Overbank analyses cannot be done. Multiple parallel pipe analysis assumes equal distribution between pipes so pipes must be of similar material, geometry, slope, and inlet configuration. Floodway function is not available.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Federal Highway Administration

Yes

Floodway option is available in June 1998 version. 1988 version is also available.

Innovyze

Innovyze
6720 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97219

No

Model must be calibrated to observe flows, or discharge per unit area must be shown to be reasonable in comparison to nearby gage data, regression equations or other accepted standards for 1% annual chance events.

Calibration or verification to the actual flood events highly recommended.

XPStorm has the same stormwater modeling capability as the XPSWMM program.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

The River Analysis System is able to model spatially and time varying precipitation and infiltration to 2D flow Areas, Storage areas, and between 1D cross sections. Three infiltration methods are available; Initial and Constant Loss method and the SCS method, and Green and Ampt method.

Calibration runs against available gage or other study data should be used wherever possible to validate model output.

Delbert D. Franz, Linsley, Kraeger Associates;
and Charles S. Melching, USGS

U.S. Geological Survey
221 North Broadway Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
USGS.gov/proj/feq/

Yes

The FEQ model is a computer program for the solution of full, dynamic equations of motion for one-dimensional unsteady flow in open channels and control structures. The hydraulic characteristics for the floodplain (including the channel, overbanks, and all control structures affecting the movement of flow) are computed by its companion program FEQUTL and used by the FEQ program.

Calibration or verification to the actual flood events highly recommended.
Floodway concept formulation is unavailable.

National Weather Service (NWS)

Hydrologic Research Laboratory
Office of Hydrology
National Weather Service, NOAA
1345 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Yes

Includes all the features of DAMBRK and DWOPER plus additional capabilities. It is a computer program for the solution of the fully dynamic equations of motion for one-dimensional flow in open channels and control structures. Floodway concept formulation is unavailable.

Calibration to actual flood events required.

This model has the capability to model sediment transport. Program is supported by NWS.

National Weather Service FLDWAV Computer Program 

Jimmy S. O'Brien

FLO-2D Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 66
Nutrioso, AZ 85932

No

Hydrodynamic model for the solution of the fully dynamic equations of motion for one-dimensional flow in open channels and two-dimensional flow in the floodplain. Bridge or culvert computations must be accomplished external to FLO-2D using methodologies or models accepted for NFIP usage.

Please review 'Guidance for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping for Alluvial Fans' thoroughly before applying to alluvial fans. Coordination with the Regional office is required. Calibration to actual flood events is required.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

Calibration or verification to the actual flood events is highly recommended. Floodway concept formulation unavailable.

Version 3.1 cannot create detailed output for multiple profiles in the report file. CHECK-RAS cannot extract data.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

The River Analysis System is able to model excess precipitation applied directly to a 2D flow area. Losses and infiltration are not currently able to be computed within RAS, so excess precipitation should be determined using separate approved hydrologic methods or software (such as HEC-HMS) prior to applying it within the model domain.

Calibration runs against available gage or other study data should be used wherever possible to validate model output.

Streamline Technologies, Inc.

Streamline Technologies, Inc.
1135 East State Road 434
Suite 3002
Winter Springs, FL 32708
Website: Streamline.tech

No

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain. Floodway concept formulation unavailable; however, version 3 allows users to specify encroachment stations to cut off the cross section.

DHI Water & Environment

DHI, Inc.
319 SW Washington St.
Suite 614
Portland, OR 97204

No

A dynamic coupling of MIKE 11/ MIKE HYDRO River (one-dimensional) and MIKE 21 (two-dimensional) models. Solves the fully dynamic equations of motion for one- and two-dimensional flow in open channels, riverine flood plains, alluvial fans and in costal zones. This allows for embedding of sub-grid features as 1-D links within a 2-D modeling domain. Examples of sub-grid features could include small channels, culverts, weirs, gates, bridges and other control structures.

Please review 'Guidance for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping for Floodway Analysis and Mapping' thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain.

DHI Water & Environment

DHI, Inc.
319 SWM Washington St, Suite 614
Portland, OR 97204

No

Comments

Hydrodynamic model for the solution of the fully dynamic equations of motion for one-dimensional flow in open channels and control structures. The floodplain can be modeled separately from the main channel.

Calibration to actual flood events is required. Floodway concept formulation is available for steady flow conditions. This model has the capability to model sediment transport.

DHI Water & Environment

DHI Water & Environment Inc.
141 Union Blvd., Ste 250
Lakewood, Colorado, 80228, USA

No

MIKE HYDRO River is DHI’s new river modeling software package. It utilizes MIKE 1D as its computational engine. The MIKE 1D engine is the result of a re-engineering merger process of the calculation capabilities of DHI’s collection system (MOUSE) and river simulation engine (MIKE 11) into one engine.

Calibration or verification to the actual flood events highly recommended.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Storm Water Management Model

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Yes

SWMM 5 provides an integrated environment for editing study area input data, running hydrologic simulations, and viewing the results in a variety of formats.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain. Comparison of bridge and culvert modeling to other numerical models reveals significant differences in results; these differences may be investigated in the near future. Floodway option is not accepted for NFIP usage.

Innovyze

Innovyze
6720 SW Macadam Avenue Suite 200
Portland, OR 97219

No

Model must be calibrated to observe flows, or discharge per unit area must be shown to be reasonable in comparison to nearby gage data, regression equations or other accepted standards for 1% annual chance events.

Calibration or verification to the actual flood events highly recommended.

XPStorm has the same stormwater modeling capability as the XPSWMM program.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

The River Analysis System is able to model spatially and time varying precipitation and infiltration to 2D flow Areas, Storage areas, and between 1D cross sections. Three infiltration methods are available; Initial and Constant Loss method and the SCS method, and Green and Ampt method.

Calibration runs against available gage or other study data should be used wherever possible to validate model output.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory

3909 Halls Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS 39180

Yes

AdH is a spatially implicit, physics based hydrodynamic model that can simulate a wide range of hydraulic features, including rainfall and evaporation, overland flooding, wind and wave effects, friction impacts due to vegetation, and several types of hydraulic structures. AdH also includes the ability to simulate time and space varying head and flow boundary conditions, making it suitable in many coastal, estuarine, and riverine applications. AdH has been applied in the high tidal ranges of Alaska and in the deserts of Afghanistan. AdH has been used widely throughout the U.S. for sediment and constituent transport, dam break, tidal impacts, and flooding analyses. User manual and various training resources for the AdH model is available on the AdH website. More information on AdH can be found on the USACE website.

U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey
National Center
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 22092

Yes

This model has the capability to model sediment transport. Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

Please review 'Guidance for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping for Alluvial Fans' thoroughly before applying to alluvial fans. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain.

Jimmy S. O'Brien

FLO-2D Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 66
Nutrioso, AZ 85932 FLO-2d.com/

No

Hydrodynamic model that has the capabilities of modeling unconfined flows, complex channels, sediment transport, and mud and debris flows. Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

Please review 'Guidance for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping for Alluvial Fans' thoroughly before applying to alluvial fans. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Water Resources
Support Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center
609 Second Street
Davis, CA 95616-4687

Yes

The River Analysis System is able to model excess precipitation applied directly to a 2D flow area. Losses and infiltration are not currently able to be computed within RAS, so excess precipitation should be determined using separate approved hydrologic methods or software (such as HEC-HMS) prior to applying it within the model domain.

Calibration runs against gage or other study data should be used wherever possible to validate model output.

DHI Water & Environment

DHI Water & Environment Inc.
141 Union Blvd., Ste 250
Lakewood, Colorado, 80228, USA

No

A dynamic coupling of MIKE 11/ MIKE HYDRO River (one-dimensional) and MIKE 21 (two-dimensional) models. Solves the fully dynamic equations of motion for one- and two-dimensional flow in open channels, riverine flood plains, alluvial fans and in coastal zones. This allows for embedding of sub-grid features as 1-D links within a 2-D modeling domain. Examples of sub-grid features could include small channels, culverts, weirs, gates, bridges and other control structures.

Please review 'Guidance for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping for Alluvial Fans' thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Technical Service Center
Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group
Denver Federal Center
6th and Kipling, Building 67
Denver, Colorado 80225-0007

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Yes

SRH-2D, Sedimentation and River Hydraulics – Two-Dimensional model, is a two-dimensional (2D) hydraulic, sediment, temperature, and vegetation model for river systems. The SRH-2D model can be executed independently of any third party software, but pre-processing greatly facilitates development of the computational mesh elements. Public domain alternatives are available for this pre-processing. However, FHWA has contracted with the firm AquaVeo to integrate the SRH-2D model into their Surface-water Modeling System (SMS).

SRH-2D may be applied but not limited to: Flow in one or multiple streams covering the main channel, side channels, and floodplains; Hybrid mesh methodology which uses arbitrary mesh cell shapes; Flood routing and inundation mapping over any terrain; Flow around in-stream structures such as weirs, diversion dams, release gates, coffer dams, etc.; Flow over-spill over banks and levees; Flow over vegetated areas and interaction with main channel flows; Flow in reservoirs with known flow release; and Morphological assessment of bed erosion potential.

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Coastal Engineering Research Center
Department of the Army Waterways Experiment Station
Corps of Engineers
3909 Halls Ferry Road
Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199

Yes

Limitations on split flows. Floodway concept formulation unavailable. More review anticipated for treatment of structures.

Please review 'Guidance for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping for Floodway Analysis and Mapping' thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

Please review 'Guidance for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping for Alluvial Fans’ thoroughly before applying to alluvial fans. Coordination with the Regional office is required.

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or highwater marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain.

Innovyze

Innovyze
6720 SW Macadam Avenue Suite 200
Portland, OR 97219

No

The program simulates two-dimensional free surface flows by solving the full-dimensional, depth averaged, momentum and continuity equations. The two-dimensional simulation is dynamically linked with the one-dimensional modeling of XPSWMM/XPStorm by taking the one-dimensional water surface elevation profile as the internal boundray condition of the 2D domain. Flow rates transferred depend upon the head difference and the roughness of cells.

The program does not have any option to model weir flow along 1D/2D boundary; caution must be applied when transfer of flow along these boundaries.

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events on both channel and floodplain.

Aquarian Software Inc.

Aquarian Software
1415 Briercliff Drive
Orlando, Florida
34604-6899

No

Calibration or verification to the actual flood events is highly recommended. Floodway concept formulation is unavailable. Encroachment stations can be specified in
editor to cut off section.

Only accepted for usage within Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Jimmy S. O'Brien

FLO-2D Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 66
Nutrioso, Arizona 85932
FLO-2D Pro Website

No

An integrated river and floodplain model. A flood routing hydrologic and hydraulic model with urban detail features, sediment transport, mudflow, and groundwater modeling. Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning, specifically Alluvial fan guidance document titled Guidance: Alluvial Fans (Nov 2016), thoroughly before applying to alluvial fans. Coordination with the Regional Office is required. Calibration to actual flood events is required.

Only accepted for usage within Mohave County, Pima County, Pinal County, Maricopa County, Arizona, Union County and City of La Grande, Oregon.

DHI Water and Environment

DHI. Inc.
319 SW Washington St.
Suite 614
Portland, Oregon 97204
DHI Website

No

MIKE URBAN has the capability to analyze storm sewer networks. Flow conditions associated with weirs, orifices, manholes, detention basins, pumps, and flow regulators can be reflected. Weirs located within the closed conduit have to be modeled as orifices.

MOUSE does not independently have the capability to model overland flows; overland flow can be analyzed by coupling MIKE 11 and/or MIKE 21. Floodway modeling capability is not available. The compliance of the hydrology module of MOUSE is not determined. Calibration to actual flood events is required.

Only Accepted for usage within areas administered by FEMA Region 3 (District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia).

Streamline Technologies, Inc.

Streamline Technologies. Inc.
1135 East State Road 434
Suite 3002
Winter Springs, FL 32708
Website: Streamline.tech

No

Hydrology, integrated 1-D/2-D surface hydraulics and 2-D groundwater model.

Only accepted for usage within the state of Florida; County of Georgetown, South Carolina; City of Lubbock, Texas; and the Cities of Lafayette and Martinsville, Indiana.

Southwest Florida Water Management District

Engineering Section
Resource Management Department
2329 Broad Street
Brooksville, Florida
34604-6899
Southwest Florida Water Management District Website

Yes

Interconnected ponds and channels routing model.

Only accepted for usage within Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Tetra Tech

Tetra Tech
759 South Federal Highway, Suite 314
Stuart, Florida 34994
Contact: Brian Proctor, Vice President, SE Operations Manager
Email: Brian.Proctor@Tetratech.com
Direct: (772) 781-3472

No

Applicable to a network of rectangular grids. Capable of routings on natural overland sheetflow areas and water management systems with cascading lakes and channels. Computing runoff from either daily or hourly rainfall with design distributions, using SCS formula with soil storage and soil moisture updated on daily basis.

Stage/storage, sheetflow cross sections, and soil types are represented in each computational grid entered via GIS. HEC-2 type cross sections can be entered on specific channel grids and minor channels can be embedded on general grids. Evapotranspiration computations are based on seasonal factors and soil moisture of unsaturated and saturated zones. Interactions with the subsurface conditions are handled by MODFLOW routines. Capable of simulating continuous hydrologic conditions. Cannot compute regulatory floodway.

Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis. Coordination with the Regional office is required. The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain.

Only accepted for usage in the South Florida Water Management District.

BMT WBM

BMT WBM
Suite 120
8200 S. Akron Street
Centennial, Colorado 80112
BMT Website

Software information available at TUFLOW's website.

Aquaveo
3210 N. Canyon Road
Suite 300
Provo, Utah 84604
Aquaveo Website

No

TU FLOW is flood simulation software that simulates the hydrodynamics of water flow using the complete 2D and 1 D free-surface flow equations. It includes a wide range of options for modeling structures and urban pipe networks, and for dynamic linking of 2D and 1 D solutions. The program is applicable to riverine flooding, dambreak inundation, urban overland and pipe network flows, and coastal inundation from surges and tsunamis.

The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain. Currently floodway concept formulation is not available. Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis.  Coordination with the Regional Office is required.

Only accepted for usage in FEMA Region 3 (District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia) and in the City of Simi Valley, California.

Theodore v. Hromadka II
and Chung-Cheng Yen

Hromadka & Associate
Costa Mesa, California
Diffusion Hydrodynamic Model Website

No

Diffusion flow model that can route unconfined surface and open channel flows. Can be used to model alluvial flooding. Rainfall-runoff output can be used for hydrologic studies. Kinematic routing optional. Floodway concept formulation unavailable. Calibration to actual flood events is recommended.

Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning thoroughly before applying to floodway analysis.  Coordination with the Regional Office is required.

Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning, Guidance: Alluvial Fans (Nov 2016), thoroughly before applying to alluvial fans. Coordination with the Regional Office is required. The model must be calibrated to observed flow and stage records or high-water marks of actual flood events at both channel and floodplain.

Only accepted for usage within the San Bernardino County Flood Control District, California.

Developed By

Jimmy S. O'Brien

Available From

FLO-2D Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 66
Nutrioso, Arizona 85932
FLO-2D Pro Website

Public Domain

No

Comments

An integrated river and floodplain model. A flood routing hydrologic and hydraulic model with urban detail features, sediment transport, mudflow, and groundwater modeling. Please review the applicable guidance for FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning, specifically Alluvial fan guidance document titled Guidance: Alluvial Fans (Nov 2016), thoroughly before applying to alluvial fans. Coordination with the Regional Office is required. Calibration to actual flood events is required.

Only accepted for usage within Mohave County, Pima County, Pinal County, Maricopa County, Arizona, Union County and City of La Grande, Oregon.

Streamline Technologies, Inc.

Streamline Technologies. Inc.
1135 East State Road 434
Suite 3002
Winter Springs, FL 32708
Website: Streamline.tech

No

Hydrology, integrated 1-D/2-D surface hydraulics and 2-D groundwater model.

Only accepted for usage within the state of Florida; County of Georgetown, South Carolina; City of Lubbock, Texas; and the Cities of Lafayette and Martinsville, Indiana.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Storm Water Management Model

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Yes

SWMM 5 provides an integrated environment for editing study area input data, running hydrologic simulations, and viewing the results in a variety of formats.