NCHRP Research Report 1131: Flood Forecasting for Transportation Resilience: A Guide presents technical resources and organizational insights that support state departments of transportation (DOTs) in advancing their flood forecasting capabilities. The guide was developed with input from state DOT partners that was collected via a survey that included questions on business processes, preparedness, and data requirements necessary to build a robust and resilient flood forecasting capability. The guide will assist transportation agencies and other organizations in identifying and strengthening their flood forecasting capabilities in five key areas: flood data foundations, monitoring, operations, communications, and participating in a community of practice.

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Many DOTs currently utilize available data and technology to support decision-making during flood events. However, even DOTs with the most advanced systems have expressed the need for more efficient prediction of the timing, magnitude, and location of flooding, as well as the anticipated impacts on infrastructure, particularly in areas without monitoring gauges. While experimental products and emerging research offer promising opportunities for developing high-quality hydrometeorological projections and flood forecasts, there remains a critical need for frameworks and guidance to enhance DOT flood-event decision-making.

Under NCHRP Project 20-59(53)A, “A Guide to Flood Forecasting for Transportation Resilience,” Dewberry Engineers Inc. was asked to develop a practitioners’ guide to build capabilities for transportation agencies to:

• Evaluate current capabilities, identify goals, and leverage existing data;
• Identify tools and tactics to support DOTs in getting started with flood forecasting;
• Enhance capabilities to meet goals or fit flood forecasting into their existing operations;
• Prioritize where to invest their time in building capabilities;
• Build partnerships and get support from leadership;
• Onboard staff to a flood forecasting team; and
• Inspire DOT staff to join a community of practice.

NCHRP Project 20-59(53)A built on the findings from the previous NCHRP Project 20-59(53), which assessed state DOTs’ abilities to engage with flood forecasting systems and identified key technological and capacity gaps. Based on the gaps identified, NCHRP Project 20-59(53)A focused on addressing the identified challenges by working closely with multiple state DOT partners to develop new use cases and processes. These efforts included identifying critical locations, determining the associated impact thresholds, and assigning specific roles and responsibilities within the DOT.

The results of NCHRP Project 20-59(53)A provide insights into the business processes, preparedness measures, and data requirements for establishing effective flood forecasting capabilities for transportation resilience. The guide has been developed as a direct outcome of these efforts and is intended to assist transportation agencies in enhancing their flood forecasting capabilities and improving resilience against flood events.

Supplemental to this report are a future research needs memo and a presentation providing an overview of the research findings. These can be found on the National Academies Press webpage for NCHRP Research Report 1131: Flood Forecasting for Transportation Resilience: A Guide (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/28022/flood-forecasting-for-transportation-resilience-a-guide.) under “Resources.”