Flooding and Flood Forensics
WRCS has been doing forensic hydrology and hydraulics (H&H) analysis and modeling for over thirty years and in hundreds of cases across the US, Canada and Australia.
Whether your case involves a single historical flood event or a pattern of repeated flooding, WRCS can re-create the hydrology and hydraulics of the flow event using various one- and two- dimensional models. We can then reproduce the flood as if it were to have occurred under various scenarios, whether it’s without bridges or structures, before land development projects, or with different flood control system operation and maintenance standards.
Why Choose WRCS?
Decades of Specialized Experience:
We exclusively work in litigation support (Expert Witness Hydrologist) and have done so for 35 years. We have municipal, commercial and professional clients across the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Unbiased and Thorough Analysis:
We pride ourselves on our company history of providing unbiased, non-conflicted testimony to both plaintiff and defendant clients.
We are dedicated to helping lawyers, law firms and insurance companies navigate the complex technical world of surface water engineering, and make it understandable to our clients, the judge and the “layman” jury.
No hired guns here.
If there’s problems or weaknesses with your case theory the best thing we can do for you as an expert consultant is to tell you so.
If the technical data backs your case, we will find it, analyze it, model it, report it, and present it with graphics that a judge and jury will understand.
Comprehensive Coverage:
WRCS covers an extensive range of hydrology-related issues, including but not limited to flooding and flood forensics, flood hydraulics, watershed hydrology, drowning hydraulics, storm drain systems, dam and reservoir operations, floodplain analysis and roadway drainage. Our experts bring a multifaceted understanding of hydrological phenomena to the table, ensuring that no nuance is overlooked in the pursuit of truth.
Meet Rick Van Bruggen
President WRCS
Mr. Van Bruggen, President of WRCS, has over 40 years of engineering experience specializing in the use of systems engineering and modeling techniques to define and evaluate surface water resource systems and alternative flood control measures.
He has performed hundreds of studies of surface water hydrologic and hydraulic systems, meteorology, sedimentation, debris production, and the management and statistical analysis of hydrographic data. For over 35 years now, Mr. Van Bruggen has made use of his extensive experience in water resources engineering by serving as an Expert Witness in the field.
Flooding Expert Witness Services Consultant
Or call us: (760) 895-4411
Flooding Expert Witness Case Examples
Case #1: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Flooding
Provided trial testimony on behalf of plaintiffs in class action suit regarding two storm events and citywide flooding. Evaluation of city flood control standards and conformance to FEMA National Flood Insurance Program was conducted. XPSWMM model of entire municipal storm drain system utilized to determine potential causes of flooding.
Client: Johnson, Janklow, Abdallah, Bollweg & Parsons LLP, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Case #2: Cumberland, Maryland Flooding
Provided Testimony in Jury Trial on Evaluation of Municipal Storm Drain System Improvements. Established design factors of a storm drain system improvement project which induced greater flooding of downstream residents than would have occurred prior to its completion.
Client: Levasseur and Buckel, Cumberland, Maryland.
Case #3: Redding, California Flooding
Testified in a bench trial on the factors involved in flooding that occurred in downtown Redding, The storm’s return frequency, the city storm drain system’s design level of protection, and the impacts of watershed development were all analyzed as they related to the level of flooding experienced at a downtown apartment complex.
Client: McNeill Law Offices, Redding, California.
Case #4: San Anselmo Creek New Year’s flood of 2005
Provided testimony on the hydraulic impacts of 17 bridges and channel infringements along San Anselmo and Ross Creeks, in Marin County, California, using a HEC-RAS computer model. The individual and cumulative effects of the structures were quantified for the clients in this class action lawsuit.
Client: Bourhis & Mann, San Francisco, California.
Case #5: Train Trestle Impact on Winery Flooding
Provided jury testimony regarding train trestle’s effect on winery flooding, Napa, California. Developed a HEC-RAS computer model of a series of highway bridges and train trestle to determine their impacts on the debris blockage of a creek and the resulting contribution to flood damages.
Law Offices of Margaret M. Farley, San Rafael, California.
Case #6: Bridge and Debris Impact on River Des Peres, Missouri
Provided Deposition Testimony in Two Cases (one Class-Action) Involving Flooding on the River Des Peres, St. Louis County, Missouri. The hydraulic impacts of the accumulation of channel vegetation, and the presence of numerous bridge crossings, was determined by HEC-RAS and XPSWMM computer modeling of the University City Branch of the River des Peres storm drain system (a tributary to the Mississippi River) during the September 2008 flood.
Client: Macuga, Liddle & Dubin, P.C., Detroit, Michigan.