Hydrologic Models for Urban Floodplain Mapping

and Damage Reduction in Brownsville, TX

Philip Bedient
Rice University
CEE Department
Houston, Texas

March 17, 2006

Background of Floodplain Studies

Floodplain studies:
Provide Water surface profiles and floodplain maps
for land development and impact statements caused
by urbanization
Include the analysis of historic floods for model
calibration
Feature the computation of the water surface profile
for at least the 1% annual chance (100-yr) flood
Usually do not include solutions for the flood problem

New Technologies for Floodplain Analysis

LIDAR and Radar provide accurate data sets for
topography and storm events
GIS Linked with new hydrologic models allows
rapid ability to map results
The floodplains created can be overlain on
aerial, land use, and public utilities maps to
show potential impact

Objectives
The models developed will be within a GIS framework for easy data
manipulation and integration.
Use a lumped parameter hydrological model, HEC-HMS, and a
hydraulic river analysis system, HEC-RAS, to develop a floodplain
based on existing land use and land classification, LIDAR, and both
NEXRAD and design storm rainfall data.
Use the same hydrologic and hydraulic models to predict the impact of
urbanization on the North Main Drain and Cameron County Drainage
District 1 Watersheds
Develop and model feasible flood mitigation options to reduce the
effects of flooding on North Main Drain and Cameron County Drainage
District 1 watersheds.

Overview of Brownsville, TX
Brownsville is a medium-sized
city in the south of Texas,
located just north of the Rio
Grande.
It is characterized by very flat
slopes and clay-rich soils
which make the area very
susceptible to flooding
According to the 2000 US
Census, Brownsvilles
population has grown from
99,000 to 140,000 since 1990

Overview of Brownsville, TX
Brownsville has 4 watersheds
2 main drainage ditches:
Cameron County Drainage District 1 Ditch 23 mi2
North Main Drain 10 mi2

2 resaca networks:
Resaca de la Guerra 5 mi2
Town Resaca 6 mi2

LIDAR and Watersheds

Why Accurate Floodplain Predictions

are Important for Brownsville

StormRainfall(inches)

DATE

TOTAL

DAILY

Sep-67

15.4

12.1

HurricaneBeulah

Aug-80

6.9

5.5

HurricaneAllen

Sep-84

15.2

7.9

Sep-88

5.4

4.7

HurricaneGilbert

Oct-96

10.6

10.6

TropicalStormJosephine

REMARKS

Major events within the last

40 years have caused
extensive flooding, a couple
being larger than the 100-yr
rainfall total of 11.7 inches
within 24 hrs.
Causes of flooding:
Slope and soil type
Topographic anomalies
Rapid urbanization
Undersized drainage channels

METHODOLOGY

Overall Methodology

Methodology - LIDAR
LIDAR is Light Detection and
Ranging and uses laser light
reflection, GPS, and INS
Flight Specs:
Flying Speeds: 200 250 km/h
Flying Height: 300 1000 m
Scan Angles: 20 30 deg
Pulse Rates: 2000 50,000
pulses/sec

Disadvantages of LIDAR
Disadvantages:
Accuracy depends on the
accuracy of the GPS and INS
Processing the raw data is not
exact

The digital terrain model is a

regular surface which does not
present remarkable discontinuities
The height of the points are
independent of far points, but are
correlated to points in the same
surroundings

USGS 30m DEM

LIDAR DEM

Rainfall Data
NEXRAD

TP-40 Design Storms

Rainfall
Duration
1hour

2Year

10Year

100Year

3.2

4.6

2hours

2.68

4.08

5.9

3hours

2.9

4.48

6.53

6hours

3.3

5.42

8.25

12hours

3.9

6.48

10

24hours

4.6

7.475

11.75

HEC-HMS

HEC-HMS Transforms
Model created by HEC-GeoHMS
extension in ArcView
Simulates the runoff-precipitation
response of a watershed
Basin translation and attenuation
represented by Clark Unit
Hydrograph (TC&R)
Flood wave attenuation in an open
channel is modeled via the
Modified Puls method (Storage
Discharge relationship depended
on momentum and continuity
equations)

HEC-RAS

Cross Sections

WSE Profiles

HECRAS Bridge CS

HEC RAS Input Window

River

MultipleCrossSections
Bridge

HEC RAS Profile Plots

3-D Floodplain

Output Table

Extracting Cross Sections

Geo-RAS Extension
Elevations extracted from
LIDAR by cross section
shapefiles
Cross sections, streamlines,
flowpaths, are exported from
ArcView into HEC-RAS

HEC-RAS and HEC-HMS Iterations

Storage/Outflow calculated based on
inputted flows and channel geometry
Rating Curve inputted into
HEC-HMS Modified Puls

Rating Curves developed based on

Calculated storage/outflow

Floodplain Delineation Based on Land Use

Used current and future Land

Use and Land Classification
for impervious values, %
developed, and roughness
coefficients
Used the 2, 5, 10, 25, 50,
and 100-yr design storms for
Brownsville
Calibrated the models with
the May 7, 2004 rainfall data
from NEXRAD

Floodplain Analysis - Houses

Calibration
Used the May 7, 2004 storm
for calibration:
8.41 inches in 34 hours
Modeled between a 2- and 5-yr
storm
Observed high water marks:

Paredes Ln Rd: 20.53 ft

Old Port Isabel: 16.93 ft

Modeled high water marks:

Paredels Ln Rd: 20 ft (3%)

Old Port Isabel: 16.75 ft (1%)

Flood Mitigation Options

Detention/Retention Ponds
With controlling inlet and outlet structure

Diversions
Channel Modifications/Improvements
Channel Maintenance
Channel Widening and Lining

Hydraulic Structure Improvements

Improving Culverts
Elevating Bridges

Pumping
Buyouts
Development Controls

Option A: Construction of 12 detention ponds

and the improvement of a hydraulic structure
Option B: Option A plus a channel improvement
from Paredes Ln Road to FM 802
Option C: Option B plus an extend channel
improvement to the end of the watershed
and the elevation of two bridges

Existing Conditions
100-yr

Existing Conditions
Option A 100-yr

Existing Conditions
Option B 100-yr

Existing Conditions
Option C 100-yr

Flood Mitigation Results

100-yr Existing Dev WSE alternative comparison for CCDD1
30

25

20

Existing
OptionA
OptionB

15

10

5
60

50

40

30

20

10

OptionC

Full Development
Conditions 100-yr

Full Dev. Conditions

Option A 100-yr

Full Dev. Conditions

Option B 100-yr

Full Dev. Conditions

Option C 100-yr

Flood Mitigation Results

100-yr Full Dev WSE alternative comparison for CCDD1
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
60

50

40

30

20

10

Existing
OptionA
OptionB
OptionC

Conclusions - Objectives
Creating a flood study within a GIS framework allows for
easy manipulation of the data and models.
Using a lumped parameter hydrological model (HECHMS) in conjunction with a river analysis system (HECRAS) can accurately predict floodplains
The use of a high resolution DEM (LIDAR) provides
accurate floodplain prediction with little calibration.
The models allowed easy flood analysis to determine
feasible mitigation options for the area

Conclusions Flood Analysis

The topography, soil, and rapid development of
Brownsville makes the area susceptible to flooding for
even small storm events.
Option C for the CCDD1 ditch provides protection from
the 100-yr storm for existing and future development
Stream and rain gages are needed for better model
validation.
Restrict the amount of allowable discharge into the
drainage systems from future developments