Early December, Miller Gray was proud to partner with the Texas Floodplain Management Association (TFMA) to host the Region 5 Floodplain Management Forum in Austin. Organized by Principal Travis Wilson, PE, CFM, the event welcomed 120 floodplain managers, engineers, and public agency professionals from across Central Texas for a full day of helpful sessions, meaningful conversations and technical insights.

With flood risk, extreme weather, and Atlas 14 updates continuing to shape how Central Texas plans for growth, this year’s forum delivered critical, actionable knowledge.

Spotlight on the July 4th Flooding Sessions

A key highlight of the forum was the July 4th flooding discussion, where floodplain managers from Williamson County, Round Rock, and Cedar Park shared first-hand insights on emergency response, conditions, coordination challenges, and recovery.

Later, TxDOT Austin staff shared their perspective on infrastructure performance, followed by a deeper look at Williamson County’s flood experience and Atlas 14 updates. These sessions emphasized the need for coordinated modeling, data-driven decisions, and strong communication to support effective, community-focused floodplain management.

Technical Case Study: Rowland Drive Modeling & Proposed Scenarios

Travis presented alongside Ray Kim, PE, on the Rowland Drive Storm Drain Improvements modeling case study for the City of Austin, demonstrating how advanced hydraulic modeling guides real-world flood mitigation in aging neighborhoods. The project area along Williamson Creek has faced flooding issues since the early 1990s, prompting a need for detailed analysis. Miller Gray developed a fully dynamic 2D hydraulic model in Autodesk InfoWorks ICM to evaluate existing and proposed systems. Their session covered modeling methods, scenario testing, and data-driven recommendations, showing how technical insight directly supports risk reduction and stronger community protection.

Building Stronger Regional Collaboration

In addition to these key sessions, the forum featured legislative updates from TFMA leadership, discussions on resilient low-water crossing design, dam draw-down timing, Atlas 14 recalibration efforts, and Blanco River model updates. Miller Gray was also honored to sponsor the luncheon, giving attendees time to connect, collaborate, and strengthen working relationships across agencies and consulting teams.

“It was insightful to hear the different perspectives on how Texas engineers and emergency responders are working to develop and implement life-saving strategies to better protect Texans from the dramatic flooding that continues to affect the Hill Country. Andy Carter from UT Austin spoke about ongoing efforts to develop a real-time hydraulic model that identifies flooding regions and provides emergency responders with clear, directive information on where to deploy resources. Bruce Clements with Williamson County also shared the perspective of emergency responders who are advocating for proactive measures and improved systems that anticipate flooding events, aiming to prevent tragedies like the ones we experienced this year.” – Audrey Hudson, EIT at Miller Gray

We are proud to support TFMA and to help lead conversations that advance floodplain management across Central Texas. Events like this reinforce our commitment to technical excellence, community safety, and regional collaboration.