Frank Haces’ Doctoral Research on AI in Flood Mapping Gets Attention
Frank Haces, a stormwater engineer in our Houston office, has published doctoral research on using AI to better understand flood risk maps, and the paper has drawn attention, including from Houston public radio.
Frank coauthored “The Longitudinal Assessment of Flood Hazard in Cities: Unlocking the Floodplain Record of Houston, TX, USA,” in the Journal of Hydrology, detailing research he conducted at the University of Houston before joining Freese and Nichols in 2025.
The research focused on using artificial intelligence to convert outdated paper flood maps into digital versions that show flood risk changes in several areas of Houston area and where risks could worsen in the future.
The goal is to help communities stay ahead of flood risks by using a better understand flood patterns to make more informed decisions about strengthening infrastructure, preparing for disasters and improving public safety.
Read the University of Houston’s feature on Frank’s research.
Check out his interview with Hello Houston on Houston Public Media.