Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

How do I run ANUGA without installing Python?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

Why is flood model setup so time-consuming?

Accepted Answer

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.