AI for good!

FLOOD warning for Eastbourne and Southern Wealden: How AI is being used to estimate flooding in minutes.

Flooding in Eastbourne and southern Wealden impacts residents, infrastructure and the local economy. The further ahead we know about a flood event, the more time we have to prepare for it. This is why the Blue Heart project is working with JBA Consulting to improve flood warning technology.

Flooding in our area is complex, involving surface water, sewers, groundwater and the sea. This is reflected in the existing computer model, which takes days to run a scenario. But rainfall drives the whole system, and we only get accurate rainfall forecasts a few hours ahead.

So how do we cut model run-time down, so we have useful information on flooding within minutes? One way is to use an AI-based approach. We are currently building a Machine Learning (ML) Model based on existing knowledge and modelling of flooding in Eastbourne. This ML model uses information about rainfall and flooding to find connections between the two. It then takes forecast rainfall and applies its learning to predict flooding on the ground – and it can do this in minutes.

By their nature, any forecast is uncertain and there are some significant challenges, particularly the accuracy of rainfall data and existing models. However, this technology has the potential to take multiple inputs and generate useful information for the management of floods by local government, first responders and the community.

Article by Lisa Chatterjee, JBA Consulting; originally published in Bournefree Magazine, Issue 071, May 2026.

Image: Map showing the network of sensors sharing live data on water levels, groundwater and rainfall.
Map data ©2026 Google.