Administrative Information

Date3 - 7 Mar 2025
Course Coordinator

Jordan Lucas 

LocationUSACE Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA

FY25 Downloadable Course Administrative Documents

The course agenda is here.

Course Overview 

This course presents risk assessment methods and concepts, many of which are required by USACE guidance. The objective is to enable participants to readily adapt these methods and concepts to their own studies and projects after successfully completing the course. Policy issues, concepts in statistical analysis, and risk and uncertainty methods used in the evaluation of flood risk management projects are emphasized in the course. Course workshops provide participants with the opportunity to apply the course's concepts using the Hydrologic Engineering Center Flood Damage Reduction Analysis (HEC-FDA) software program. 

Course Instructors

HEC InstructorsGuest Instructors
Brennan BeamTaylor Bolt, NWO
Beth FaberSteve Cowdin, HDR
David HoBrian Hubel, SPD
Richard NugentBrian Maestri, MVD
Julia SlaughterNathan Pingel, HDR

Course Content

Course Software

This course will use the following software. 

Reading Assignments

Course Modules

The below table organizes all FY25 course content for the PROSPECT 209 course on Risk-Based Analysis for Flood Damage Reduction Studies. In the final column of this table, links are provided to the YouTube playlist of the FY22 presentations of the same modules. 

Module NameModule InstructorModule ContentFY22 Playlist
Day 1


1.2.  Flood Risk Assessment MethodologyRichard NugentSlidesPlaylist
1.3.  Basic Probability and StatisticsBeth FaberSlides demosPlaylist
1.4.  Engineering for Non-Engineers or Economics for Non-EconomistsBrennan Beam, David Ho, Richard Nugent

Economics Slides

Engineering Slides


1.5.  Risk Communication RequirementsRichard NugentSlidesPlaylist
Using the HEC-FDA Program Workshop 1Julia Slaughter, Taylor BoltFY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 1
Day 2


2.1.  Incorporating Uncertainty into the Expected Annual Damage ComputationBeth FaberSlides demosPlaylist
2.2.  Uncertainty in Exceedance Probability FunctionsBeth FaberSlidesPlaylist
2.3.  Stage Discharge Relationship UncertaintyBrennan Beam
Slides

Playlist

Hydrologic and Hydraulic Uncertainties Workshop 2Julia Slaughter, Taylor BoltFY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 2
2.4. Project Performance and Geotechnical AnalysisBrian HubelSlidesPlaylist
Day 3


3.1.  Stage-Damage RelationshipRichard NugentSlidesPlaylist
Stage-Damage Uncertainty Workshop 3Julia Slaughter, Taylor BoltFY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 3
3.2.  Estimation of Economic UncertaintyRichard NugentSlides
Without-Project Conditions Workshop 4Julia Slaughter

FY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 4

Example EqAD Calculation


3.3.  Case Study, Southwest Coastal Louisiana Feasibility StudyBrian MaestriSlidesPlaylist
3.4. Nonstructural Plan Formulation and EvaluationTaylor BoltSlides Workbook
Day 4


Levee Assessment Workshop 5Julia Slaughter, Taylor BoltFY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 5
Plan Formulation Workshop 6, Session 1Julia Slaughter, Taylor BoltFY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 6
4.1. Impact Areas and Index Points SelectionJustin Brewer, Taylor BoltSlides
4.2.  Plan Formulation and Evaluation Using Risk AssessmentRichard NugentSlidesPlaylist
Plan Formulation Workshop 6, Session 2Julia Slaughter, Taylor BoltFY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 6
4.3.  Case Study: Coastal Texas EvaluationBrian MaestriSlidesPlaylist
Day 5


Plan Formulation Workshop 6, Final SessionJulia Slaughter, Taylor BoltFY25 HEC-FDA Workshop 6
5.1.  Case Study: Lower Sacramento RiverStephen Cowdin, Nathan PingelSlidesPlaylist

Bonus Material

Module NameYouTube VideosCourse ContentInstructor
Effect of Deposition on Stochastic Water Surface Elevation UncertaintyFull LectureSlidesStan Gibson

References and Additional Resources

Getting Help

Please navigate to the HEC-FDA category on HEC Discourse for user support on HEC-FDA and for help with the content on this page.