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Announcing our work with FEMA to strengthen and inform their flood analytics capabilities

Written By:
Date:
March 7, 2023

We’re excited to announce that we have been selected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deliver a national, near-real time flood intelligence system for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Hurricane Katrina, mapped every hour using Floodbase’s newest technology fusing global earth observation-based flood data with hydrologic, meteorological, and environmental data

Selected through the DHS Science and Technology’s Directorate Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP), we will work with FEMA to develop a cutting-edge solution to improve the quality, efficiency, and speed of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) damage estimate and flood operations.

As flood impacts continue to worsen, we are excited to apply our flood intelligence technology to support the millions of Americans protected by the NFIP.

A Flood Data Platform for Better Flood Recovery

Floodbase’s flood intelligence system will enable FEMA and the NFIP to better understand the location and depth of floodwaters, enabling the NFIP to estimate the impacts of flood events more accurately to inform its actions in support of policyholders.

Hurricane Harvey, mapped with Floodbase

Our flood intelligence system will consist of three elements: 

  1. Daily flood monitoring. Through a combination of multi-satellite imagery composites and deep learning hydrology models, deliver a continuous map of flood severity every day. This enables us to capture the peak of any flood at the county level.
  2. Near real-time mapping of ongoing events. Deliver flood maps in near real-time along with post-event maps within 72 hours of image capture. This allows the NFIP to better understand the extent and policyholder exposure of floodwaters.
  3. Improved forecasting data. Create triggers and thresholds, including index-based approaches, to improve FEMA’s flood damage estimates and alert FEMA about potential severe impacts to NFIP-insured properties. 

Adapting to Climate Change


We are proud to work with FEMA to develop solutions that will help build America’s resilience to climate change by informing NFIP decision making and operations in the wake of extreme weather events.

With only 7% of climate-related investment currently going towards climate adaptation, we are excited to develop financial tools and technological solutions that will help Americans better adapt to, and recover from, future floods. 


To learn more about how you can leverage our end-to-end flood data solution, contact our team.