Hydrologic Research Center

What Hydrologic Research Center does

The Hydrologic Research Center (HRC) is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) non-profit applied-research corporation established in July 1993 by Dr. Konstantine P. Georgakakos. Its mission is to bridge the gap between scientific research in hydrology and operational applications for societal water problems, particularly flash flood early warning, water-resource management, drought analysis, and climate change adaptation. Its core product is the Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS), a real-time early warning platform that fuses in-situ, satellite, and radar precipitation data with mesoscale numerical weather prediction and distributed land-surface hydrological models to produce flash flood guidance, threat, and impact-based forecast products. Surrounding the FFGS, HRC operates the Integrated Forecast and Reservoir Management (INFORM) system (operational at California Department of Water Resources), the Weather Ready Nations impact-based forecasting program, a Landslide Hazard Threat Assessment Module, the SCaMPR satellite precipitation product, and a five-step Flash Flood Hydrometeorologist Training (FFHT) program.

HRC is funded by U.S. federal and state grants (NOAA/NWS, USAID/OFDA, NSF, NASA, Bureau of Reclamation, USACE, CA Department of Water Resources, CA Energy Commission, USGS), United Nations agencies (WMO, FAO), the World Bank, and foreign governments, with donations supplementing revenue. Its go-to-market is a hybrid of (i) enterprise/government-to-government contracts and cooperative agreements that directly install FFGS on servers at National Meteorological and Hydrologic Services, and (ii) international training workshops and technology-transfer programs delivered via WMO Regional Training Centers and partner NMHS facilities. Since 1993, HRC's work has reached more than 70 countries and is claimed to have influenced water-resource interests for over 3 billion people.

HRC operates as a small, specialized team of PhD-level scientists, meteorologists, hydrologists, software engineers and administrative staff; the current executive leadership comprises CEO Olufemi Osidele, Ph.D., COO Theresa M. Modrick Hansen, Ph.D., and Chief Research Scientist Eylon Shamir, Ph.D., following founder Konstantine P. Georgakakos's retirement in December 2023. Customers are government agencies rather than commercial buyers: NMHSs worldwide (e.g., South African Weather Service, Oman DGM, Vietnam IMHEN), U.S. federal and state water/weather agencies, the Panama Canal Authority, and academic collaborators such as UCSD Scripps, Georgia Tech, and the University of Arizona. HRC does not sell commercial software licenses; pricing is not publicly disclosed, and revenue is not reported.

Name

Hydrologic Research Center

Legal name

Hydrologic Research Center

Website

https://hrcwater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Hydrologic Research Center (HRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit applied-research corporation founded in 1993 in San Diego, California. It develops and deploys the Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) and related hydrometeorological products, training, and reservoir-management tools for national meteorological services and government agencies in 70+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydrometeorological Forecasting Systems

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

akta.pro primary industry

Flood Risk Modeling, Mapping & Forecasting (Hydrology/Hydraulics, Digital Twins) (EUANAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real-Time Monitoring & Smart Stormwater (Sensors, SCADA/IoT, RTC) (EUANAEAK), Environmental Data, Monitoring, Remote Sensing & Early Warning (BPADALAN), Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient) (EUAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Hydrologic forecasting
• Flash flood guidance
• Early warning systems
• Water resource management
• Hydrometeorological modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: HRC receives funding through grants and contracts from U.S. Federal and State Government agencies. Sponsors include NOAA-NWS, NOAA-OGP, NOAA-SARP, NSF, NASA, Bureau of Reclamation, California Department of Water Resources, California Energy Commission, USGS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others.
2. International Organization Funding: Funding from United Nations Agencies (FAO, WMO) and Foreign Governments for international development and disaster preparedness projects.
3. Donations: As a public benefit nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, HRC relies on donations to help realize its goal of finding solutions to societal problems.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hydrologic Research Center (HRC) develops, implements, and operates real-time flash flood guidance and water resource management systems for National Meteorological and Hydrologic Services (NMHS) and government agencies worldwide. Its flagship Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) integrates satellite, radar, and gauge-based precipitation data with numerical land-surface hydrological and mesoscale numerical weather prediction models to provide real-time flash flood early warning products. The organization also delivers the INFORM system for reservoir management, impact-based forecasting programs, training programs, and landslide hazard modules, alongside technology transfer and capacity-building services.

Product overview

The Hydrologic Research Center offers a portfolio of hydrometeorological products centered around the Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS), a global real-time early warning system for flash floods. The FFGS serves as the core platform, complemented by the Integrated Forecast and Reservoir Management (INFORM) system for water resource operations in Northern California, the Weather Ready Nations (WRNs) program for impact-based forecasting, and specialized modules such as the Landslide Hazard Threat Assessment Module and Flash Flood Hydrometeorologist Training Program. These products work together to provide end-to-end solutions for flood warning, water resource management, and disaster preparedness across more than 70 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3 billion people positively impacted across more than 70 countries since 1993
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRC has designed and is implementing regional flash flood guidance early warning systems globally with WMO as the coordinating partner. Partners have signed a quad-partite Memorandum of Understanding for the Flash Flood Guidance System with Global Coverage Project. WMO provides training certification endorsement and global coordination.
• U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / National Weather Service (NOAA/NWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRC partners with NOAA/NWS for the Global Flash Flood Guidance Program. NWS provides technical expertise and funding through International Affairs Office for Weather Ready Nations programs and flash flood guidance system development worldwide.
• University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Weather Ready Nations program for development and implementation of hydrometeorological hazard impact-based forecast and warning services.
• U.S. Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding source for climate change impacts studies, precipitation downscaling procedures, and HEC-RAS sediment transport model development. Collaborative research on water resources in arid environments.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on HEC-RAS model development for sediment transport simulation with uncertainty characterization. Partners with Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC).
• Georgia Institute of TechnologysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research collaboration including INFORM Project with Dr. Aris Georgakakos from Georgia Tech Research Corporation. Also collaborated on COPEL project in Brazil.
• University of ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Groundwater, Climate And Stakeholder Engagement (GCASE) project, climate change projections, tree-ring research, and snowpack variability studies. Multiple joint publications and research projects.
• California Department of Water ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on INFORM Project for Northern California water resources operations. INFORM software made operational at DWR as part of Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations.
• University of California San Diego / Scripps Institution of OceanographycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Georgakakos serves as adjunct faculty at UCSD. HRC supports graduate students at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Long-standing academic collaboration.
• South African Weather ServicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImplementation of South Africa Flash Flood Guidance (SAFFG) system. Service receives training and systems for flash flood forecasting.
• Sultanate of Oman Public Authority for Civil AviationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImplementation of OMAN Flash Flood Guidance (OMANFFG) system for Directorate General of Meteorology. Includes training and system maintenance.
• Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate ChangecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImplementation of Vietnam Operational and Analysis Flash Flood Guidance Systems. Two computational systems installed with technology transfer.
• Panama Canal AuthoritycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIntegrated hydrometeorological system designed and implemented for Panama Canal Watershed for rainfall estimates and forecasting.
• Various National Meteorological and Hydrologic Services GloballycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 70 countries served including Peru SENAMHI, Myanmar DMH, India IMD, El Salvador MARN, and many others. Systems implemented with extensive training and technology transfer.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DTN: DTN provides operational weather, climate, and environmental intelligence services to governments and industries globally. Comparable to HRC in delivering applied hydrometeorological products (precipitation, river forecasting) to similar government/utility customers, though DTN is commercial and broader in scope.
• Deltares: Deltares is a Dutch independent applied research institute focused on water, subsurface, and infrastructure. Highly comparable to HRC in being a non-profit research organization developing operational hydrologic/hydraulic models and decision-support tools for governments worldwide.
• Riverside Technology, Inc. Riverside Technology delivers hydrologic forecasting, water resource engineering, and atmospheric science services, with deep historical ties to NOAA/NWS. Direct comparable to HRC in providing operational hydrometeorological decision-support to U.S. and international government clients.
• AEM (Atmospheric and Environmental Research): AEM provides environmental and climate intelligence, numerical weather prediction R&D, and decision-support tools to government and commercial clients. Comparable to HRC in applied atmospheric/hydrologic modeling and serving government agencies with operational forecasting products.
• Baron Weather: Baron delivers weather data, hydrometeorological forecasting, and broadcast/emergency-management solutions to government and media customers. Comparable to HRC in providing operational forecasting infrastructure with radar/satellite integration for severe-weather and flood applications.

Emerging players

• Tomorrow.io: Tomorrow.io provides a global weather intelligence platform with precipitation and severe-weather forecasting APIs. Comparable to HRC's FFGS in real-time precipitation and flood-risk forecasting, though delivered as commercial SaaS rather than NMHS-targeted system installations.
• Climavision: Climavision builds a gap-filling radar network and AI-driven weather/climate forecasting products for government and enterprise. Comparable to HRC in providing real-time hydrometeorological guidance with heavy emphasis on radar/satellite-derived inputs and severe-weather applications.

Others

• National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR): NCAR is a U.S.-based federally funded R&D center for atmospheric and Earth system science. Adjacent rather than directly competing with HRC; both contribute foundational research and models used in operational hydrometeorological forecasting, but NCAR is research-focused while HRC delivers operational systems.

Broad incumbents

• ERT (Axiom): ERT/Axiom delivers environmental and atmospheric science services and decision-support tools to NOAA and other federal clients. Comparable to HRC in delivering operational scientific support to U.S. government agencies, though at much larger commercial scale.
• IBM Environmental Intelligence Solutions: IBM's environmental intelligence suite provides weather, climate, and water-resource analytics to enterprises and governments. Comparable to HRC's FFGS as a broader, commercially-scaled environmental forecasting platform, but with much wider scope including agriculture and energy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hydrologic-research-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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