The USFIMR project commenced in August 2016 with funding from NOAA. The project’s main goal is to provide high-resolution inundation extent maps of past U.S. flood events to be used by scientists and practitioners for model calibration and flood susceptibility evaluation. The maps are based on analysis of Remote Sensing imagery from a number of Satellite sensors (e.g. Landsat, Sentinel-1) with some ground proofing based on secondary sources (e.g. news reports, social media). The maps are accessible via the online map repository below. The repository is currently under development and new maps are added on a weekly basis.
For information, requests and data contribution contact the project PI: Dr. Sagy Cohen (sagy.cohen@ua.edu) or Lead Developers: Dinuke Munasinghe (dsnanayakkaramunasinghe@crimson.ua.edu) and James Misfeldt (jamisfeldt@crimson.ua.edu). (formerly Bradford Bates).
Flood inundation maps are listed on the map side panel 
and at the table below.
To view an inundation extent polygon layer: zoom-in to a layer location (indicated by the 
point symbol) and make it visible from the ‘Legend’ side panel bar on the left. Click on the point symbol to identify the layer’s name.
Flood layer properties are available by clicking on flood polygons. Download links* can be found by clicking on the associated point symbols.
* Download links will not work when using ‘Safari’ web browser
The dataset can also be accessed directly via ArcGIS Online or through the SDML Datasets Portal.
Download the entire USFIMR in Shapefile format.
Sortable list of flood events available at the repository
| River Name | State | Year | Date | Platform | Mapped Inundation Area (sq km) | Source* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jacinto | Texas | 2016 | May 30 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 94.7 | SDML |
| Brazos (near Hempstead) | Texas | 2016 | May 28 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 48.7 | SDML |
| Brazos (near Richmond) | Texas | 2016 | May 30 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 214.9 | SDML |
| Maquoketa | Iowa | 2016 | Sep 26 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 59.5 | DFO |
| Cedar | Iowa | 2016 | Sep 26 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 233.1 | DFO |
| Wapsipinicon | Iowa | 2016 | Sep 26 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 154.8 | DFO |
| Mississippi | Iowa | 2016 | Sep 26 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 533.33 | DFO |
| Washita | Oklahoma | 2015 | May 29 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 43.9 | SDML |
| Iowa | Iowa | 2016 | Sep 26 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 136.4 | DFO |
| Lumber & Little Pee Dee | N/S Carolina | 2016 | Oct 13 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 587.1 | SDML |
| Black (SC) | S Carolina | 2016 | Oct 13 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 253.9 | SDML |
| Willow Creek | Texas | 2016 | May 28 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 15.7 | SDML |
| Spring Creek | Texas | 2016 | May 28 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 57.1 | SDML |
| Choctawhatchee River | Alabama/Florida | 2016 | Jan 4 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 562.9 | SDML |
| Pea River | Alabama | 2016 | Jan 4 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 61 | SDML |
| Holmes Creek | Florida | 2016 | Jan 4 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 27.1 | SDML |
| Mississippi River | Missouri | 2017 | May 4 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 68.6 | DFO |
| Castor River | Missouri | 2017 | May 4 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 44.9 | DFO |
| St Francis River | Missouri | 2017 | May 4 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 32.9 | DFO |
| Black River (AR) | Arkansas | 2017 | May 4 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 269.9 | DFO |
| Mississippi River | Missouri | 2017 | May 10 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 1131.5 | SDML |
| Pascagoula River | Mississippi | 2011 | March 17 | 30m Landsat 7 ETM+ | 807.0 | SDML |
| Black River (AR) | Arkansas | 2017 | May 10 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 506.1 | SDML |
| Cache River | Arkansas | 2017 | May 4 | 10m Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | 91.9 | DFO |
| Sacramento Valley | California | 2017 | February 22 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 2721.5 | SDML |
| Mississippi River | Missouri | 2011 | May 10 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 6618.3 | SDML |
| Canadian River | Iowa | 2016 | September 26 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 41.1 | DFO |
| Tar River | North Carolina | 2016 | October 15 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 485.7 | SDML |
| Ashley River | South Carolina | 2016 | October 13 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 241.2 | SDML |
| Neuse River | North Carolina | 2016 | October 15 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 960.9 | SDML |
| Cooper River | South Carolina | 2016 | October 13 | 30m Landsat 8 OLI | 399.3 | SDML |
| Wisconsin River | Wisconsin | 2010 | September 26 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 329.0 | SDML |
| Trempeableau River | Wisconsin | 2010 | September 26 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 52.5 | SDML |
| Jamuna River | Bangladesh | 2017 | July 14 | 10m Sentinel-2 | 3118.0 | SDML |
| Minnesota River | Minnesota | 2010 | October 1 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 261.9 | SDML |
| Mississippi River | Minnesota | 2010 | October 3 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 783.1 | SDML |
| Nottoway River | Virginia | 2004 | October 5 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 259.1 | SDML |
| Nottoway River | Virginia | 2008 | September 18 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 199.2 | SDML |
| Red River | North Dakota | 1997 | April 18 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 2124.0 | SDML |
| Nottoway River | Virginia | 2011 | September 14 | 30m Landsat 7 ETM+ | 183.0 | SDML |
| Nottoway River | Virginia | 1996 | September 13 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 150.6 | SDML |
| Nottoway River | Virginia | 2006 | September 9 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 162.8 | SDML |
| Nottoway River | Virginia | 2004 | September 19 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 328.8 | SDML |
| Bray's Bayou | Texas | 2008 | September 15 | 0.5m WorldView-1 | 0.9 | SDML |
| Redwood River | Minnesota | 2010 | October 1 | 30m Landsat 5 TM | 74.5 | SDML |
* SDML – Surface Dynamics Modeling Lab; DFO – Dartmouth Flood Observatory
“This dataset was developed by the Surface Dynamics Modeling Lab (PI: Sagy Cohen) under a Subaward with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) under Cooperative Agreement No. Z16-23487 with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA, DOC or UCAR.”
