Skip to main content

CONUS-wide Projected Flood Frequency Estimates, Version 1.0

  • Ghimire, Ganesh R. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Kao, Shih-Chieh | Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Gangrade, Sudershan | Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Download Dataset
Overview

Description

This dataset presents a large-ensemble of CONUS-wide projected flood frequency estimates across ~2.7 million NHDPlusV2 river reaches over the CONUS. The framework producing this dataset leverages a multi-model, uncertainty-aware modeling framework that allows evaluating shifts in flood frequencies at the stream reach level across the CONUS. CONUS-wide ensemble streamflow projections generated from hydrologic simulations driven by downscaled and bias-corrected Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) outputs are used to derive these flood frequency estimates over the period 1980 - 2099. A spatially consistent regional L-moment algorithm is applied across clusters defined by the US Hydrologic Unit Code Subregions (HUC4s and HUC8s) and NHDPlusV2 stream orders to estimate flood frequencies. The dataset also includes at-site based flood estimates allowing for the distinction between local and regional approaches, assess projected changes, and characterize their uncertainties. For rare flood frequencies such as 500 and 1000-year return periods, super-ensemble based estimates are also included in the dataset. This dataset is derived to support the "Impact-Informed Dam Safety Risk Assessment for Securing Hydropower Assets" project for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). For further details, refer to Kao et al. (2022), Ghimire et al. (2023), and Ghimire et al. (2025).

Funding Resources

DOE Contract Number

AC05-00OR22725

Originating Research Organization

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization

Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO)

Project Identifier

ATM112; CLI190

Related Resources

Details

DOI

10.13139/OLCF/2575147

Release Date

November 5, 2025

Dataset

Dataset Type

ND Numeric Data

Software

Any type of NetCDF readers

Acknowledgements

This research used resources of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is supported by the Advanced Scientific Computing Research programs in the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Category

  • 42 ENGINEERING,
  • 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES,
  • 58 GEOSCIENCES,
  • 13 HYDRO ENERGY,
  • 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING

Keywords

  • CMIP6,
  • SECURE Water Act Section 9505 Assessment,
  • Flood Frequency Analysis,
  • Regional L-moment,
  • Streamflow Projections,
  • Dayflow,
  • RAPID,
  • DBCCA,
  • RegCM,
  • VIC,
  • PRMS