Flood Hazards & Assessments
Flooding hazards have always been an important constraint which has to be taken into consideration by developers, architects, town planners and engineers. But how do you actually find out if your property is located in a flood hazard area?
Most local councils have an online interactive mapping system which helps to identify if property could be affected by flooding. These mapping systems also identify the type of flooding (i.e. Creek/ Waterway, Overland Flow or River) & the anticipated severity. See an example of a flooding overlay from Brisbane City Council's Interactive Mapping system.
However, it is important to understand - just because you are in a flood zone, doesn't mean you can't build. When developing in a flood hazard area, councils require that development applications be supported by a Flood Assessment undertaken by a professional engineer.
The report itself calculates the defined flood level for the property, and provides recommendations for the floor level of any habitable areas proposed.
Criteria for flood assessments can vary from council to council, meaning it’s not a one size fits all solution.
At JCE, we use the latest flood mapping software (HECRAS modelling), which allows us to conduct our flood assessments with precision.