FIMs: Operationalizing Flood Inundation Mapping in Maryland
Working with the latest tools and technologies, the FIMS Project brings together researchers and communities around flood inundation mapping. Using a social science approach, the FIMS Project asks important questions about how communities obtain and act upon flood forecasts to make emergency management, hazard mitigation, and community planning decisions. By examining how communities function, we are finding innovative ways to integrate new technologies and, reciprocally, improve those same tools and technologies to meet community needs. Together we can prepare and respond to flooding events, building more resilient communities and a more resilient Maryland.
This project, funded through a grant from NOAA (2024-2027), aims to help communities better prepare for flooding by connecting science, technology, and local planning. The Community Flooding Social Science Liaison serves as a bridge between flood mapping experts (in academia and at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and Maryland communities, using research in social and behavioral sciences to ensure tools are accessible and useful. By focusing on health, equity, and climate challenges, this project strengthens local networks, improves understanding of flood risks, and shares lessons learned with partners across the state, region, and Federal agencies, including the National Weather Service.
Goals and Objectives
● Establish networks between flood mapping researchers and community partners
● Assess the needs of local communities around flood preparedness and mitigation
● Develop programming to support local communities, addressing flood needs
● Develop feedback loops between local communities and NOAA FIMs modelers to develop a more effective flood modeling program
Activities 2024-2025
● Presentation at the AGNR Lightning Talks
● Presentation at the National Watershed and Stormwater Conference 2025
● Conducted needs assessment with Maryland emergency management, emergency services, GIS analysts, and hazard mitigation professionals
Partnerships and Collaborations
● National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Weather Program Office
● Maryland Sea Grant, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
● Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership
● Stormwater and Infrastructure Resilience and Justice Lab, UMD School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation