Development of a web-based tool for rapid flood inundation modeling

Abstract

To address the growing risk of floods under global climate change, management agencies need flood inundation modeling to support decision-making and emergency response. However, traditional desktop-based modeling remains a complex and time-consuming process, making it difficult for users to perform rapid flood simulations. To overcome this limitation, this study developed a web-based rapid flood modeling tool based on the LISFLOOD-FP model. Each key step involved in the modeling process—such as data preparation, preprocessing, model run and calibration, and postprocessing— was encapsulated into an automated executable workflow. These workflows were deployed on servers, published as web services, and invoked from a web-based interface, significantly streamlining and simplifying the modeling process. Four flood events in the upper Missouri River Basin were successfully simulated to showcase the tool's capability. This user-friendly web-based tool enables users to conduct flood inundation modeling quickly, thereby lowering user barriers and facilitating timely flood risk mitigation.