Xiao et al. (2026) Development of a web-based tool for rapid flood inundation modeling

Identification

• Journal: Environmental Modelling & Software
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-13
• Authors: D. Xiao, Binjie Yuan, Zhengxu Guo, Yang Wz, Jingchao Jiang, Min Chen, Guonian Lv, H. Liu
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.106876

Research Groups

• College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
• Center for the Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
• Jiangsu Quality Supervision and Inspection Station for Surveying and Mapping Products, Nanjing, China
• Department of Geography, Environment, and Geomatics, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
• School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China
• Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Ministry of Education of PR China), Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
• Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, China
• State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Geographical Environment Evolution, Nanjing, China

Short Summary

This study developed a web-based rapid flood modeling tool based on the LISFLOOD-FP model to overcome the complexity and time-consumption of traditional desktop-based methods, successfully demonstrating its capability by simulating four flood events in the upper Missouri River Basin.

Objective

• To develop a user-friendly web-based tool for rapid flood inundation modeling to support decision-making and emergency response, thereby lowering user barriers and facilitating timely flood risk mitigation.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional (Upper Missouri River Basin)
• Temporal Scale: Event-based (four specific flood events), designed for rapid response and timely mitigation.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: LISFLOOD-FP model
• Data sources: Not explicitly detailed, but implies raw data for specific study areas and open-access data sources, processed through automated workflows.

Main Results

• A web-based rapid flood modeling tool was successfully developed, encapsulating key modeling steps (data preparation, preprocessing, model run/calibration, postprocessing) into an automated executable workflow.
• The tool significantly streamlined and simplified the flood inundation modeling process by deploying workflows on servers and publishing them as web services, invoked via a web-based interface.
• Four flood events in the upper Missouri River Basin were successfully simulated, showcasing the tool's capability for rapid flood simulations.

Contributions

• Development of a novel web-based platform for rapid flood inundation modeling, addressing the limitations of complex and time-consuming desktop-based methods.
• Automation and encapsulation of the entire flood modeling workflow into web services, making the process accessible and user-friendly for non-expert users.
• Lowering user barriers for flood inundation modeling, enabling quicker response to sudden flood events and facilitating timely flood risk mitigation.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Xiao2026Development,
  author = {Xiao, D. and Yuan, Binjie and Guo, Zhengxu and Wz, Yang and Jiang, Jingchao and Chen, Min and Lv, Guonian and Liu, H.},
  title = {Development of a web-based tool for rapid flood inundation modeling},
  journal = {Environmental Modelling & Software},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.106876},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.106876}
}