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What Is Flood Routing?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Flood routing is the process of modeling a flood wave to understand what it will do at various points along a waterway. This is critical for reservoir and waterway management and can also become important in an emergency when accurate flooding forecasts are necessary to determine whether a flood poses a risk to health and safety. Software programs can perform flood routing, and it is also possible to do calculations by hand.

Water behaves in predictable ways that can be modeled by researchers who understand the dynamics of water, waterways, and flood behavior. In a flood, a very high volume of water moves through established waterways and may spill out onto neighboring land. With information about how much water is present and the physical characteristics of the region, an engineer can perform some flood routing equations to make predictions about the movement of the flood.

Hydroelectric dams, while intended to generate electricity, also provide flood routing and control.
Hydroelectric dams, while intended to generate electricity, also provide flood routing and control.

In reservoir management, engineers rely on periodically high volumes of water to recharge the reservoir and provide adequate water supplies for the community. They use flood routing to determine if a flood will meet the need and to check for signs that they need to make adjustments to the reservoir or their water management plans. It may be necessary to open the spillway on a dam for outflow, for instance, to prevent overload as the flood waters move in.

In conditions where a flood may occur, hydrologists perform calculations to make predictions and determine if an evacuation is recommended.
In conditions where a flood may occur, hydrologists perform calculations to make predictions and determine if an evacuation is recommended.

Hydrologists concerned with waterways and environmental health can use flood routing and other modeling tools to predict situations and collect information about ongoing flood conditions. This information may also help with erosion predictions. The hydrologist wants to be able to model the shape of the wave, as this can have important implications for how it moves, along with the height and the timing. It can be important to know when flood waters should crest and recede.

During a flood, a high volume of water may spill into neighborhoods.
During a flood, a high volume of water may spill into neighborhoods.

Another use for flood routing is in modeling for health and safety reasons. It can take time to get an evacuation order and to ensure that everyone in a community complies. In conditions where a flood may occur, hydrologists perform calculations to make predictions and determine if an evacuation is recommended. They may also suggest sheltering in place or other safety measures to reduce the loss of life or property.

Government agencies rely on hydrologists to perform flood routing tasks. They can also work in private industry, particularly industries like agriculture, where accurate flood forecasting is very important. Insurance agencies also have a use for flood modeling, as they use this information when they issue policies and pay out on claims.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

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    • Hydroelectric dams, while intended to generate electricity, also provide flood routing and control.
      By: William Warby
      Hydroelectric dams, while intended to generate electricity, also provide flood routing and control.
    • In conditions where a flood may occur, hydrologists perform calculations to make predictions and determine if an evacuation is recommended.
      By: satori
      In conditions where a flood may occur, hydrologists perform calculations to make predictions and determine if an evacuation is recommended.
    • During a flood, a high volume of water may spill into neighborhoods.
      By: annavee
      During a flood, a high volume of water may spill into neighborhoods.