Floods are among the most costly and disruptive natural hazards. In the United States alone, disasters causing over a billion dollars in damage have totaled $2.95 trillion since 1980, according to NOAA. Flood-related disasters regularly account for tens of billions of dollars each year in direct losses—without factoring in broader economic impacts. A study by the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee estimates the total economic burden of flooding in the U.S. ranges between $179.8 and $496.0 billion annually.
DisasterAWARE helps organizations stay ahead of flood risks by delivering real-time, global monitoring for all flood types—riverine, coastal, and flash floods. Our system combines data from national meteorological and hydrological agencies with a global flood forecasting model developed in partnership with NASA, giving users early insight into potential impacts and helping them make faster, more informed decisions.
Flooding is one of the most complex hazards to predict and assess. Local terrain, drainage, infrastructure, and rainfall patterns all influence the outcome—making impact estimation especially challenging.
To support timely decision-making, DisasterAWARE generates a Situational Awareness product every time there is a significant update from our integrated meteorological partners. These reports summarize the latest conditions and expected impacts, with details varying by region.
In cases of major disasters—whether identified by our automated systems or manually confirmed by our disaster response team—DisasterAWARE also curates and shares products from international aid agencies, as well as federal and state emergency briefings, providing users with the most comprehensive and current view of flood impacts.
Serious or widespread impacts are imminent or occurring. Take immediate action.
Significant impacts are possible. Monitor conditions closely and be ready to act.
Conditions may cause minor disruptions. Exercise caution.
Conditions may cause minor disruptions. Exercise caution.
For flood hazards provided by partner meteorological and hydrological agencies, DisasterAWARE always reflects the severity level designated by local authorities. We do not override their expert assessments.
The model considers the baseline historical flood risk for each watershed
It also factors in weighted risk indicators and real-time observational data
Severity is calculated using NASA’s “Model of Models”, which integrates outputs from multiple forecasting models
This hybrid approach ensures our flood severity ratings are grounded in local authority guidance wherever possible, while also providing a robust, model-based assessment for global, data-scarce regions.
To support timely and relevant alerts, DisasterAWARE distinguishes between exposure areas—which represent the regions directly affected by a flood—and notification areas, which are used to trigger alerts when a hazard is near a user’s Area of Interest or critical assets.
For NASA global flood forecasts, DisasterAWARE uses the contours of the level-six watershed boundaries to define both the exposure and notification areas. These watershed zones are based on the model’s predictions of where flooding is likely to occur, offering a consistent and scalable way to deliver alerts in areas without local authority data.
This approach balances the use of authoritative data with predictive modeling—ensuring that users receive reliable, location-specific alerts tailored to their risk exposure.
DisasterAWARE provides a robust collection of supporting map layers to help users assess ongoing flood events, anticipate future impacts, and understand long-term flood risk. These layers combine global coverage with region-specific detail—especially for the United States—and are designed to work seamlessly alongside a user’s own data, such as critical infrastructure and assets.
These layers provide insight into current environmental conditions that contribute to flooding:
These layers help users anticipate future flood risks based on weather and climate models:
These datasets reflect long-term or high-risk areas based on physical conditions and climatological patterns:
These layers are integrated from U.S. government agencies and provide authoritative, location-specific information:
For organizations integrating flood data directly into their own systems, DisasterAWARE offers a robust Natural Disaster API—our Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution. This API provides access to the most current and authoritative flood hazard data, enabling seamless integration into internal applications, risk dashboards, and operational tools.
This transparency ensures that organizations can evaluate not only the data itself, but also the credibility of the source behind it—supporting trusted, data-informed decisions.