HAZUS – MH FEMA’s Tool for Natural

Hazard Loss Estimation

&Why it matters to

West Virginia

West Virginia GIS Conference

June 4, 2014

Agenda

• How Disasters have Impacted WV Historically• What is HAZUS-MH & why is it important?• How can HAZUS-MH serve WV?• FEMA Geospatial Activities • Geospatial Vision for WV

Introductions

Cynthia McCoyRisk Analyst at FEMA Region III•Mitigation Division: Risk Analysis Branch

– Flood Hazard Mapping, Mitigation Planning, Risk Assessment

– HAZUS Point of Contact– Goal Reduce loss of life and property by lessening

the impact of disasters.

Who is an Emergency Manager?

Raise your hand if you represent one of these areas…

•State or Local Government•Community Development•Environmental Protection•Historic Preservation•Transportation•Urban Design•City Planning•Architecture•Engineering•Real Estate•Education

We are all involved in Emergency

Management!

What is the Connection?

HAZUS-MHWe are here to talk about a loss estimation tool which tasks the user to be both analyst and communicator

– Analyze potential threats – Illustrate how those threats effect people, homes

and businesses– Communicate their impact to minimize the loss of

life and property

IDENTIFY vulnerable areas. ASSESS level of readiness and preparedness to deal with a disaster before disaster occurs.ESTIMATE potential losses from specific hazard events.DECIDE on how to allocate resources for most effective and efficient response and recovery.PRIORITIZE mitigation measures that need to be implemented to reduce future losses (what if)

How and why?

How Disasters Impact West Virginia

Since 1954•52 Disaster Declarations

Due to: Severe flooding, Severe winter storms, High winds, Blizzard, Drought, Tornados and Landslides

Since 2003 17 Presidential Disaster declarations

From 1969-2010 these counties have experienced 15 + declared disasters: Cabell, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Nicholas, Raleigh Wayne, Wyoming

•Flooding has caused the most damage to the state and its citizens

How disasters have impacted WV, Historically

How disasters have impacted WV, Historically

What is Hazus-MH & why is it important?

What is Hazus-MH? • Software tools and support system designed by

FEMA for the purpose of providing communities with the means to identify and reduce risk from natural hazards

• Program elements include:– Hazus-MH – User Groups– Education Program– Other Resources

• Available from FEMA free of charge (requires ArcGIS license)

Study regions

• Population and inventory are defined for whole region • Hazard may affect part of region, or whole region• No damage assessment performed outside of study region

Produce maps, tables, and reports

Analyze social and economic impacts

Consider what is at risk

Identify hazard

Identify physical landscape

Loss Estimation Process

Output

Hazus-MH What Makes it Tick?

Enhanced

Basic

Improving the model

HAZUS-MH Local Data Integration• HAZUS Inventory can be updated to reflect current conditions

or illustrate proposed development and population growth

• More accurately reflect actual risk

• Non Hazard Data Integration

• Comprehensive Data Management System (CDMS)• Hazard Data Integration

• User-provided hazard maps (soils, elevation, user developed depthgrids, etc.)

• User Defined Data• HAZUS allows the user to input Arc GIS point shapefiles with

necessary attributes to analyze potential losses for specific structures or facilities

What Impacts the HAZUS-MH Accuracy?

How well is what is at

risk defined?

(Inventory)

How accurate is the loss estimation methodology?

How well is the hazard defined?

The Reality of Data• In a perfect world, the data you need would already be collected and

available, but the reality is far more complex.• Some data owners charge a fee• An MOU may be required• Data stewards change from state to state and local jurisdiction to local

jurisdiction (e.g. Assessor’s Office vs. Auditor’s Office)• The data may be incomplete or out of date• The data may not be geospatial, geocoded…or even digital!• The data you need may not exist• Each County/Municipality may collect the data in multiple formats.

• Implementing inventory Tools and Workflows can address these issues• created for transforming local assessor/parcel data to a Hazus

compliant format

How can Hazus-MH Serve WV

Georgia

Project elements• Integration of

improved inventory and hazard data

• Analysis of flood, hurricane, and tornado hazards

• Creation of risk assessment maps, tables and reports Supported by tools and a detailed

workflow

Georgia

Local data quality allowed for detailed point level analysis

Georgia

Tools created for transforming local assessor/parcel data to a Hazus compliant format

Indiana• Data is centralized and

standardized in two locations– IndianaMAP (parcels) available for

90 of 92 counties– Department of Local Government

Finance (assessment data)• Hazus-MH data has been enhanced

for the entire state to rooftop level accuracy.

• Tools created to convert the centralized data to Hazus-MH required format

Why Collaborate?• IN understands the value of this data to everyone in

Indiana!

• IN understands that the return on investment from these statewide initiatives is significant!

• IN understands that no single organization has the resources to fund these statewide projects, so partnerships are critical to their success.

• Credit for these accomplishments– Federal government->state government ->private industry-

>local government partnerships

FEMA Risk MAP Deployment

Ongoing Project - Conocoheague-Opequon WatershedUpcoming Project - Upper Monongahela Watershed Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor and Wetzel Counties

Discovery Meetings: –Monday June 9, 2014 – 2:30-6:301-79 Technology Park, Robert H. Mollohan Research Center, Exhibition Hall, 1000 Galliher Dr., Fairmount WV–Tuesday June 10, 2014 – 2:30-6:30West Virginia University, Dept. of Geology & Geography, 325 Brooks Hall, 98 Beechurst Ave., Morgantown WV

West Virginia Risk MAP

Upcoming HAZUS Training in WVFEMA Region III E172 HAZUS for Flood TrainingFor FEMA Region III Federal, State, County, Local Gov. & University partners

7 Seats currently available!!! Contact Cynthia McCoy - cynthia.mccoy@fema.dhs.gov if interested

Attention: A representative from each Regional PDC is expected to attend. Should have GIS technical skillsRequired by the WVDEM, State Hazard Mitigation Officer

4 day Course at WVU July 28-31, 2014Day 1-3 E172 HAZUS for Flood training course Day 4 Interactive session with dynamic discussion, on how to develop strategies for Statewide data coordination and tangible tasks in which HAZUS can be used to inform real projects, and improve risk awareness in WV.

WV Statewide Geospatial Data Coordination• Goal: Evaluate the location of GIS datasets throughout the State

• Can be utilized to inform decision making in the fields Emergency Management, Risk Assessment, Hazard Mitigation, Climate Adaptation and Urban Planning.

Completed - First Step: Perform State Level Gap analysis • Participants – WVDEM, WV Geographic Information Officer (GIO),

West Virginia University GIS Tech Center• Starting Today- Second Step: Outreach to the Local Governments Regional Planning Commissions

• Assess level of data maintained at the local level 

• Proposed End Result • Use for State and Local Analysis and Mitigation Planning• Use for Response Activities• Develop projects/analyses which qualify for CRS credit

West Virginia Geospatial Data CoordinationDatasets

• General Building Stock• Essential Facilities• Transportation• Utilities• Demographics• Airport Facilities and Runways • Bridges• Levee• National Monuments & Icons• Museums and Cultural Resources• Historic Districts and Structures• Public Institutions• Terrain

Attributes • Data Projection• Address• Year Built• Foundation Type• Number of Stories• Available Backup Power• Height of Structure• First Floor Elevation (NAVD88)• Basement Including Garage

Elevation (NAVD88) • Latitude • Longitude• Building Value• Building Content Value

Vision for West Virginia

• Improved data accessibility • Improved awareness of existing data

resources • Consistent Statewide data coordination

Vision without action is

meaningless!

Contact

Cynthia McCoy FEMAcynthia.mccoy@fema.dhs.govPhiladelphia, PA215.931.5530