Slashgeo

Myrtle Beach Online features an article on a debate over the validity of a flood map made by FEMA preventing land development. From the article: "U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour on Monday verbally threw out a flood map developed in 2001 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The map placed 70 percent of B&C's 4,600 acres on the Congaree River in the way of a potential flood.
...
"[FEMA designating the dikes as inadequate] doesn't go away just because the judge throws out the map on a technicality," Holman said. "That work doesn't go up in smoke.""

EO Portal has an article about Envisat monitoring China's largest lake and rivers flooding. From the article: "Flooding is classed as the world's most costly type of natural disaster. As part of Dragon, Envisat ASAR and MERIS images have also been acquired and processed in near-real time for mapping of flood events and as inputs for flood risk management."

All Points Blog links to a short article on the requirement of higher resolution DEMs in the U.S., specifically for flood mapping. From the article: "Maps being used to calculate flood danger in the United States rely on data that are decades out of date, according to a report that calls for a new national program to remap land levels. The National Research Council yesterday proposed an "Elevation for the Nation" program to produce up-to-date data."

Two geoblogs offers several links on the floods in the U.K, first, on the Brain Off blog and then two entries from Mapperz. From the Brain Off: " This thread about UK flood mapping on the OpenStreetMap mailing list demonstrates that OpenStreetMap is one of the best angles to approach mapping for disaster response. [...] The floods again highlight issues with closed government data. The Environment Agency has come under criticism for restricting use of flooding data after the floods last month in the North." See also related stories.

An online, user-friendly map that tracks flood conditions has been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

As expected rains drive flood waters higher along the Mississippi River Valley, USGS crews are in the field collecting data needed to update the flood maps, prepare forecasts, manage the flood and warn communities.

This new system is part of the USGS WaterWatch suite of web-based streamflow products and can be accessed at the Map of flood and high flow conditions Web site.

Read the entire story at www.geocomm.com.

Infoterra Ltd, a leader in the provision of geospatial products and services, has launched the first comprehensive flood risk model of Great Britain to incorporate all the major causes of flooding, significantly assisting in the assessment of risk at a property level.

The full story can be read here, at GISCafe.com.