Determination of Urban Flood Damages

Abstract

A new methodology and computer program, DAPROG 2, have been developed by the Baltimore District, Corps of Engineers to estimate urban flood damages. Stage‐damage relationships are computed for individual residential and commercial properties. These individual relationships are then aggregated into composite stage‐damage relationships for an entire reach. For residential properties, replacement values for the structure and contents are estimated and applied to depth‐percent damage relationships in order to develop stage‐damage relationships. Regression equations have been developed to estimate structure replacement cost from physical attributes which are easily obtained in the field. Contents values are also estimated from the data obtained in the field. For commercial properties, standard stage‐damage relationships for 67 types of businesses are used. Utility and transportation damages and emergency care costs are also computed. The computer program is interactive and allows the user to correct data errors online. The program has several optional features and reports which are selected by the user. DAPROG 2 has been successfully used by the Baltimore District in several flood control studies. DAPROG 2 has also been used by other Corps Districts and state agencies.