Karen Clark & Company, a provider of catastrophe risk modelling and analytics, has announced that its KCC US Flood Reference Model Version 2.0 has received certification from the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (FCHLPM).
This marks the first time a flood model has been approved by the Commission under the new standards. Additionally, it is the only flood model to be certified under both the previous and current standards.
“The FCHLPM certification process, as always, was a rigorous examination of the model assumptions and methodologies,” added Glen Daraskevich, KCC Senior Vice President.
“KCC experts in meteorology, hydrology, engineering, statistics, actuarial science, and computer science ensure the KCC models stay up to date with the advancing science and most current atmospheric data.”
The KCC Flood Model offers a detailed view of both coastal flooding from storm surge and inland flooding from extreme rainfall. It includes a catalog of more than 100,000 flood intensity footprints, created and stored at a 30-metre resolution.
Additionally, the model incorporates thousands of vulnerability functions that consider key property characteristics, including building construction, height, first-floor elevation, basement type, floodproofing (wet and dry), and other secondary features.
“Version 2.0 of the KCC US Flood Reference Model includes several enhancements, most notably the incorporation of the effects of climate change to date. Climate change has led to an increase in both the frequency and severity of coastal flooding and inland flooding,” commented Dr. Daniel Ward, KCC Senior Director of Model Development.
“The updated model also explicitly represents urban drainage systems, which is especially important for coastal cities like Miami and Tampa.”
The inland flood peril in the KCC model addresses both riverine and surface flooding. Surface water is modelled using an advanced method that simulates the physics of water flow and the changing nature of surface flooding over time. The model also incorporates variations in soil properties, with riverine flow and depth extensively validated against all available USGS stream data.
For the storm surge peril, the KCC model is integrated with a high-resolution hurricane model. For each five-minute interval along the hurricane’s path, the peak storm surge is calculated, factoring in local bathymetry, storm track direction, and coastal features such as inlets and bays.
Inundation is modelled using land use and digital elevation data and includes mitigation elements like sea walls and levees.
“Recent hurricanes, including Helene, demonstrate how important flood damage is from both storm surge and inland floods,” said Karen Clark, KCC President and CEO.
“Even if insurers don’t write flood policies specifically, it’s important to know which policyholders are likely to experience flooding in the future. KCC’s advanced model provides insights into the locations most at risk from storm surge and inland flooding.”
