2:45-3:10 PM

“Chattanooga Flood Damage Assessment - Cooperative Efforts “

R. Cris Hughes, P.E., Dam Safety & Engineering, River Operations, TVA

Flood reduction benefits due to the TVA reservoir system:

Since the beginning of TVA’s flood control efforts in 1936, operation of the multipurpose dam and reservoir system has prevented approximately $5.8 billion in flood damages throughout the Tennessee Valley.  At Chattanooga, average annual flood losses have been reduced to approximately 1 percent of those that would have been suffered from unregulated Tennessee River flooding.  The averted flood damages at Chattanooga currently totals $4.9 billion.

Early flood warning notification:

In cooperation with the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Services (HCOES), TVA’s River Scheduling unit has developed early flood warning procedures for the Chattanooga area.  River Scheduling staff contact the HCOES when Tennessee River flood levels are predicted to exceed predetermined levels in the Chattanooga area.  This early flood warning information allows HCOES, other emergency response organizations, and river front industries more time to respond to impending flood situations.

Potential flood damage assessment – current and future:

In 1995, TVA completed a detailed potential flood damage assessment for the Tennessee River floodplain in Chattanooga.  This assessment was a cooperative effort between TVA, Chattanooga, and Hamilton County.  It involved a detailed analysis of each individual structure located in the floodplain, and incorporated computed flood elevations to quantify the potential for flood damage from Tennessee River flooding.  Results of this assessment have been combined with GIS mapping to show the location of structures affected by varying flood levels.

TVA hopes to again partner with Hamilton County/Chattanooga to update the existing Chattanooga flood damage assessment.  Utilizing the technical expertise of all parties in working with available electronic data and mapping, an ongoing process can be developed to keep the damage assessment current.  This process would insure the availability of accurate flood damage information in a very useable form, providing numerous benefits to both parties in the areas of flood damage estimation and emergency planning.