Charting the waters: AI is changing how Vermont maps flood risks

[erronis]

https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-05-14/ai-vermont-flooding-maps

Excellent presentation by researchers at University of Vermont

Once called “hundred year floods,” severe flooding events in Vermont are becoming increasingly common. This past July, floodwaters swept through many Vermont towns and caused an estimated $1 billion in damage to homes, businesses and farmland. The flooding also led to two deaths.

Many floodplain maps are made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. If you have flood insurance for your home, it might be because one of these FEMA maps says your property is at risk. But many FEMA maps are out of date and only cover populated areas.

To really understand the flow of water, scientists agree we need to map more of our region.

Researchers at the University of Vermont are creating and training computer models to predict how water will flow through the landscape during a flood. They’re collecting data from floodplains across the Champlain Valley to feed their algorithms.

[Quixote1818]

1. I would NEVER buy a house that is in a 1000 year flood event zone today

1,000 year floods are becoming more like 100 year floods with climate change. A 1 in 100 chance of losing your house in any given year is risky as fuck! And if you live there for 25 years you have a 1 in 4 chance of getting flooded out now.