The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the greater New Orleans area resulted in over $81 billion in property damage. Since the U.S. government underwrites all flood insurance policies, months of subsequent debates occurred on whether destruction was caused by wind or water – because each fall under separate policies. The U.S. government uses specialized flood maps and computer models to assess risk and set premiums for flood insurance policies. Updates to the Gulf Coast maps and computer models were certainly needed after Katrina, and the ability to effectively and efficiently generate more accurate flood models became crucial.

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