York U engineering research uses AI to predict flood risk in real-time York Media Relations

Research models use data from Toronto's Don River and Calgary's Bow River TORONTO, November 11, 2019 – Using complex models based on artificial intelligence (AI) and data from the Don River in Toronto and Bow River in Calgary, researchers at the Lassonde School of Engineering can now predict the water levels in rivers days in advance of floods. "We've created methods to predict real-time flood risk," says Usman T. Khan, professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at York's Lassonde School of Engineering. "These results outline an approach that can be used to create models with higher accuracy and lower data requirements, which translates to improved flood early warning systems. Early warning systems are considered the most effective way to mitigate flood induced hazards." The study, led by Khan, was published today in the Journal of Hydrology.