HEC-FIA requires a stream centerline for all consequence computations. The life loss computation in HEC-FIA also requires a cross section shapefile, storage area shapefile, and associated HEC-DSS database with stage-hydrograph output at each cross section and storage area for the flood scenarios being assessed.
Stream Centerline, Cross Section, Storage Area
The stream centerline, cross section, and storage area features can easily be exported from the HEC-RAS Model using RAS Mapper:
Open HEC-RAS and Open RAS Mapper.
Export the desired geometry features by right-click → export
For more on using HEC-RAS see the HEC-RAS User's Manual.
HEC-DSS File
For life loss computation, HEC-FIA can obtain flood wave arrival times for individual structures from arrival time grids or from stage-hydrographs stored by HEC-RAS in a HEC-DSS (Hydrologic Engineering Center's Data Storage System) file. The hydraulic engineer needs to configure HEC-RAS to generate stage-hydrographs at all cross section and storage area locations before simulating an event. If the HEC-DSS file already contains hydrograph data for each cross section, skip this section.
Start HEC-RAS. The HEC-RAS window opens.
- From the toolbar click
, the Unsteady Flow Analysis dialog box opens. - From the Options menu, click Stage and Flow Output Locations, the Stage and Flow Output Locations dialog box opens.
- From the River list, select (All Rivers).
- From the RS box, select (All Rivers).
- Click the arrow to select all the cross section locations to the Selected Locations box.
Click OK, the Stage and Flow Output Locations dialog box closes.
- From the Unsteady Flow Analysis dialog box, in the DSS Output Filename box, enter the path and the filename of the HEC-DSS file that contains the stage-hydrographs created by HEC-RAS.
- Click Compute and the HEC-RAS Computations dialog box opens. When computations are finished, click Close, the HEC-RAS Computations dialog box closes.
The HEC-DSS file is created in the selected location.
