Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2026 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM Eastern

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SPONSORED WEBINAR provided by Fathom 

Modern engineering standards such as ASCE/SEI 24-24 demand higher-resolution, climate-aware flood hazard data for robust infrastructure design and resilience planning. However, evaluating third-party flood maps and models presents significant challenges. Spatial resolution alone can create a false impression of precision if the underlying elevation data, hydraulic methods or hazard representations are flawed.

In this session, Fathom’s Principal Hydraulic Model Developer, Anthony Cooper, dissects the 10 vital questions engineers and floodplain managers must ask their flood data providers. Moving beyond binary "public vs. private" debates, the speakers examine the technical mechanics behind effective flood modeling. Attendees will explore common modeling pitfalls from static regulatory baselines and unrepresented pluvial risk to oversimplified channel representations and hidden climate biases.

By "looking under the bonnet," participants will learn how to evaluate terrain accuracy, multi-peril interactions, structural defense assumptions and model uncertainty. Equipping attendees with a practical framework to evaluate data defensibility, this webinar ensures engineers can select fit-for-purpose datasets to meet evolving standards, protect communities and optimize capital infrastructure investments.

By attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Spot false precision: Differentiate high spatial grid resolution from true elevation and hydraulic accuracy.
  • Avoid modeling pitfalls: Identify flaws in oversimplified methods (e.g. "Bathtub" or HAND) and unmapped surface-water perils.
  • Audit climate and uncertainty: Evaluate how vendors handle climate scenario projections, levee assumptions and model variance to meet ASCE/SEI 24-24 expectations.
  • Apply a 10-question framework: Audit public, private, and hybrid flood data sources for site engineering or broadscale resilience planning.

Speakers

  • Gavin Lewis, Head of Engineering and Public Sector, Fathom
  • Anthony Cooper, Principal Hydraulic Model Developer, Fathom