Improving flood hazard datasets using a low-complexity, probabilistic floodplain mapping approach

Diehl RM, Gourevitch JD, Drago S, Wemple BC (2021) Improving flood hazard datasets using a low-complexity, probabilistic floodplain mapping approach. PLoS ONE 16(3): e0248683. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248683

As runoff patterns shift with a changing climate, it is critical to effectively communicate current and future flood risks, yet existing flood hazard maps are insufficient. Modifying, extending, or updating flood inundation extents is difficult, especially over large scales, because traditional floodplain mapping approaches are data and resource intensive. Low-complexity floodplain mapping techniques are promising alternatives, but their simplistic representation of process falls short of capturing inundation patterns in all situations or settings. To address these needs and deficiencies, we formalize and extend the functionality of the Height Above Nearest Drainage (i.e., HAND) floodplain mapping approach into the probHAND model by incorporating an uncertainty analysis. With publicly available datasets, the probHAND model can produce probabilistic floodplain maps for large areas relatively rapidly. We describe the modeling approach and then provide an example application in the Lake Champlain Basin, Vermont, USA. Uncertainties translate to on-the-ground changes to inundated areas, or floodplain widths, in the study area by an average of 40%. We found that the spatial extent of probable inundation captured the distribution of observed and modeled flood extents well, suggesting that low-complexity models may be sufficient for representing inundation extents in support of flood risk and conservation mapping applications, especially when uncertainties in parameter inputs and process simplifications are accounted for. To improve the accuracy of flood hazard datasets, we recommend investing limited resources in accurate topographic datasets and improved flood frequency analyses. Such investments will have the greatest impact on decreasing model output variability, therefore increasing the certainty of flood inundation extents.