Version 2.0 of the Flood Damage Reduction Analysis (HEC-FDA) software is now available

This version is a modern overhaul of the HEC-FDA software and will be the first major release of the HEC-FDA software program in more than a decade. The software was largely developed by staff at HEC with rigorous adherence to modern software development practices.

Model-View-ViewModel Framework

This software architecture completely separates the computational engine from the user interface code making software maintenance easier and safer. Read more about the framework in Microsoft's documentation.

Open Source

Anyone with internet access can inspect the codebase, evaluate what takes place under the hood, and even submit requests for code changes. The public repository can be accessed on GitHub.

DevOps Procedures

The team relies on the git flow branching strategy to ensure that the software is in a constantly deliverable state, automated testing upon every code change to prevent unintended consequences, and version control for secure development. Our contributing guide documents these and other software development standards that the HEC-FDA team follows.

Team Collaboration

Multiple people can effectively operate in all classes in this codebase and more people are being onboarded. HEC-FDA will not be exposed to the single point of failure (key person risk) that takes place through reliance on a single person to maintain and develop a codebase or specific parts of a codebase. Review contributor activity on GitHub.

Certified Version

HEC-FDA 2.0 is a certified planning software program. It is the USACE preferred version of the HEC-FDA software because it is far more stable and contains bug fixes and general enhancements to the program's usability that are lacking in prior versions. For instance, HEC-FDA Version 2.0 can import 2D hydraulic modeling using the native RAS export format instead of needing to pre-process the data into flat files. HEC-FDA Version 1.4.3 studies can be converted into Version 2.0, please refer to the Version 1.4.3 to Version 2.0 Study Conversion Guide for more detail. Studies built using versions older than 1.4.3 cannot be converted to 2.0. Converting a study from Version 1.2.5a, 1.4.0, 1.4.1, or 1.4.2 to version 1.4.3 is simple, automated, and fast. Studies built in HEC-FDA Versions older than 1.2.5a need to first be converted to 1.2.5a before converting to 1.4.3, and then 2.0. If you have any difficulties with the migration process, please consult the HEC-FDA Discourse.

Modernized Consequences Engine

The risk engine of HEC-FDA Version 1.4.3 is nearly identical to the risk engine in HEC-FDA Version 2.0, so that expected annual damage and project performance are calculated identically. However, HEC-FDA Version 2.0 has a modernized consequences engine. When modern stage-damage functions with uncertainty are used in the risk engine, expected annual damage results can be moderately different. For a more detailed description of the modifications/enhancements and their impact on results in Version 2.0 please refer to the HEC-FDA Release Notes for Version 2.0.