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Panel Led by University of Texas Engineer Finds Current Flood Maps Inadequate |
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Environmental engineer David Maidment chaired a National Research Council panel recommending improved maps for assessing flooding nationally. In January 2007, the panel recommended using Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) measurements to update flood map elevations. The superior technology provides the detail necessary to estimate land that would be covered in a 100-year flood, which guides decisions on flood insurance coverage and land use restrictions. Left: Dr. David Maidment, director of the university's Center for Research in Water Resources, in front of a map of tributaries in Fayette County, southeast of Austin. Graduate student Shane Walker created the map while an intern at Watershed Concepts in Austin.
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Left: A map of Johnston County, North Carolina, that has been revised to include updated flood plain boundaries (red lines) based on LIDAR measurements. Updates to flood plain maps in some counties have resulted in half a mile or more expansions of land that would be covered by a 100-year flood.
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