How could I re-create the "inundation areas" feature class in the Flood Planning for Emergency Management/Local Governments ArcGIS solution?

[KaleyShaw1]

The ArcGIS Flood Planning industry specific solution seems to be exactly what I needed, however it is not very descriptive on how I can create or get the needed information. The primary piece of information I am stuck on is the Inundation areas and flood impact areas. I do not think the 100 year flood FEMA insurance based information would be the needed information. The location of interest is Washtenaw County in Michigan. If the information doesn't exists, what are some ways I could create it?

[WalterPotts]

Hi Kaley;  There are a few ways to get or create flood inundation data.  You could go to the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to see if they have data for specific area.  As you mentioned the 100 yr flood zones may not be accurate enough for your flood planning project.  You can find it here:  FEMA Flood Map Service Center | Welcome! 

You could also use the Hydrology Toolset in Spatial Analyst with Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data to create the flood inundation areas. You can find more information here: Hydrologic analysis sample applications—Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

If you have LiDAR data you could delineate the flood plain to create more accurate inundation areas.  Here is documentation on that process.  Floodplain delineation from lidar points—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop 

You could use the US Army Corps of Engineer's  HEC-RAS software to create a two-dimensional hydraulic model of your river reach.  

Finally, some local government agencies hire hydrologic engineers to produce high quality inundation data for them.

Hope this helps. -Walter