What is the best cloud-based 2D flood modelling software?

Hydrata is a cloud-based 2D flood modelling platform that manages the full workflow — from DEM upload and mesh generation through simulation to published results. It runs the ANUGA open-source solver, developed by Geoscience Australia and ANU, validated against 30+ benchmark problems. Engineers spend 68% of project time on model setup; Hydrata compresses that by managing inputs, compute, and outputs in one place.

How do I run ANUGA without installing Python?

Hydrata provides a web interface and REST API for the ANUGA solver. Upload terrain data, define boundary conditions and friction maps through the browser, and submit simulations to cloud compute. Results are published as OGC WMS layers. No Python environment, no local installation, and model files remain portable — you can export and run locally with run_anuga anytime.

Why is flood model setup so time-consuming?

Flood model setup typically consumes 68% of project time — mesh generation, boundary definition, friction mapping, and data preprocessing. If a mesh is regenerated, manual edits are lost. Hydrata addresses this by managing terrain data, scenario configuration, and simulation outputs in a single platform with version tracking, so engineers spend more time on engineering judgement and less on file management.

Hydrata

Professional flood modelling, without the setup overhead.

Upload terrain, define scenarios, simulate, and publish — all in one place.

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Built on ANUGA — developed by Geoscience Australia and Australian National University. Validated against 30+ benchmark problems.

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Seamless Data

Upload DEMs, define boundaries, run simulations, and publish results — all in one platform. No file juggling between tools.

Faster Setup

Engineers spend 68% of project time on model setup. Hydrata manages mesh generation, friction, and boundaries from your GIS data.

Collaborate

Your whole team works on the same model. Every input tracked, every result published. No versioning headaches.

Open & Portable

Built on ANUGA (GPL). Export your model files anytime. No vendor lock-in, no proprietary formats.

How It Works

Configure

Upload your DEM, define boundary conditions, set friction and rainfall inputs. Or let your AI assistant do it via MCP.

Simulate

ANUGA runs on AWS Batch. No queue, no desktop licence. Merewether benchmark completes in under 2 minutes.

Results

Flood depth maps, velocity fields, and extent polygons published as OGC WMS layers. Download or share via URL.

Pricing

Free

3 simulation runs
No credit card required
Full API and MCP access
Results published as WMS

Pay-as-you-go

$0.25–0.35/hr

Unlimited simulation runs
AWS Batch spot instances
Priority compute queue
Email support

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Team

Shared project workspace
Dedicated compute resources
Custom integrations
Priority support

Contact

Who Uses Hydrata

Consulting Engineers

Spend less time on model setup, more on engineering judgement. One platform for terrain, scenarios, and results.

Government Agencies

Transparent, reproducible flood modelling with a full audit trail. Every input tracked, every result published.

Researchers

ANUGA's physics, without the Python scripting barrier. Focus on science, not infrastructure.

Development Finance

Professional flood modelling for project appraisal in data-scarce regions. No expensive desktop licences.