Cive.Tech_StormSight

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Inspiration

Stormwater flooding is a growing challenge in modern cities like Edmonton. Traditional drainage design often relies on static calculations with limited visualization, making it difficult to quickly identify flood-prone areas or optimize infrastructure placement.

We created StormSight to help engineers visualize runoff, predict flood risk, and make better drainage decisions using real terrain and rainfall data.

What we learned

Throughout this project, we implemented hydrologic models such as the Rational Method and the Kirpich equation. We gained experience working with GeoTIFF elevation data, terrain processing, and flow routing algorithms.

We also learned how to balance engineering accuracy, computational performance, and user-friendly software design.

Project Development

StormSight is a stormwater analysis and visualization platform built using Python.

Key features include:

Peak runoff calculation using the Rational Method
Rainfall analysis with mass curves and hyetographs
GeoTIFF DEM elevation loading
D8 flow routing simulation
Flow accumulation modeling
Ponding and flood-risk detection
Spatial heatmap visualization
Storm inlet recommendation mapping

Technologies used:

Python
NumPy
SciPy
Matplotlib
Tkinter
Rasterio
GIS terrain processing

Challenges we ran into

One major challenge was processing large GeoTIFF elevation datasets efficiently without reducing performance.

Another challenge was implementing realistic D8 flow routing while maintaining visualization clarity and interface usability.

Balancing accuracy, speed, and user experience was a key engineering focus.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Real Terrain Processing: Successfully analyzing real-world elevation data.
Hydrologic Modeling Integration: Combining Rational Method calculations with terrain-based flow routing.
Flood Visualization: Generating professional runoff heatmaps and drainage simulations.
Infrastructure Insight: Identifying ponding areas and recommending storm inlet locations.
Engineering Integration: Merging civil engineering theory with computational tools.