Flood and Drainage Expert Witness

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Chris Hanstad is a Licensed Professional Engineer (IL, IN, KY, WI) and Certified Floodplain Manager with over 15 years of expertise in floodplain analysis and regulatory compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Since 2018, he has served as an expert witness in flooding and drainage-related litigation, providing written reports, discovery deposition, and trial testimony. As the lead of Illinois’ Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) program since its inception, Mr. Hanstad has overseen the evaluation and determination of hundreds of LOMR applications, ensuring compliance with rigorous floodplain modeling standards and NFIP regulations. His work directly informs revisions to FEMA floodplain maps. Mr. Hanstad specializes in assessing the flood risk impact of projects within floodplains, particularly their effects on adjacent properties. He has identified and reported seven floodway violations to FEMA and has provided litigation support in cases involving such violations. His expertise in hydrology and hydraulic engineering and NFIP regulations enables him to analyze complex floodplain and floodway issues, determine violations, and assess their impacts. Additionally, he has performed flood simulation modeling to reconstruct observed flooding events, aiding in damage assessments and loss evaluations. His experience spans large river systems to localized drainage disputes. A key strength is his ability to translate complex technical analyses into clear and compelling conclusions with visualizations and maps, making his findings accessible to diverse audiences, including legal and regulatory professionals.