This is the HEC-FDA User Manual for Version 2.0 of the HEC-FDA software. In this manual, you'll find brief descriptions of the software components and steps on how to use the software. The HEC-FDA Quick Start Guides and HEC-FDA Training spaces contain more background and quick reference pages for newer HEC-FDA users. We suggest that highly experienced users skim the introduction and read the chapters on impact area scenarios, alternatives, and alternative comparison reports. A list of the pages we recommend for highly experienced users can be found below. 

The example study data used throughout this user manual is described here: Example Study Data.

What is HEC-FDA?

The Flood Damage Reduction Analysis (HEC-FDA) software developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Hydrologic Engineering Center (CEIWR-HEC) provides the capability to perform an integrated hydrologic engineering and economic analysis during the formulation and evaluation of flood risk management plans. HEC-FDA is designed to assist USACE study members in using risk assessment procedures for formulating and evaluating flood risk management measures pursuant to pertinent policy and guidance (EM 1110-2-1619, ER 1105-2-101). The software assists USACE staff in analyzing the economics of flood risk management projects. The HEC-FDA software:

  1. Stores hydrologic, hydraulic, and economic data necessary for an analysis,
  2. Provides tools to visualize data and results,
  3. Computes expected annual damage (EAD) and equivalent annual damage (EqAD) damages,
  4. Computes annual exceedance probability (AEP) and assurance as required for NFIP levee certification, and
  5. Implements the risk assessment procedures described in EM 1110-2-1619 and provides outputs to the user that allow teams to describe results in compliance with ER 1105-2-101. 

HEC-FDA software follows functional elements of a study involving coordinated study layout and configuration, hydrologic and hydraulic engineering modeling, economic analyses, and plan formulation and evaluation. HEC-FDA is used continuously throughout the planning process as the study evolves from the base year without-project condition assessment through the assessments of alternative plans over their project life. Engineering modeling and portions of the economics are performed separately, but in a coordinated manner after specifying the study configuration and layout, and merged for the formulation and evaluation of the potential flood risk management plans.

Introduction Subsections

Pages for Experienced Users

Additional Resources

HEC-FDA User Documentation