In THE PERFECT STORM: The Science Behind Subrogating Catastrophic Flood Losses, hydrology expert witness Richard Van Bruggen writes on the science of hydrology:
Hydrology is defined as “a science dealing with the properties, distribution and circulation of water on the surface of the land, in the soil, in underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere.” This is, in fact, a very broad definition encompassing many disciplines relating to water. When encountering a flood loss, it is critical to engage subrogation counsel and an expert hydrologist immediately. Piecing together the pieces of an unseen puzzle is quite complicated. It becomes somewhat simpler, if you can combine the technical advances of hydrology and hydrologic computer models with anecdotal testimony of witnesses and physical evidence such as high water marks on buildings, automobiles, or other landmarks present at the time of the flood. Such “hard” evidence not only makes hydrologic models and simulations more reliable and accurate, but they also make them more believable.