David R. Maltby II

USGS TX WSC

Gregory P. Shelton

NWS West Gulf RFC

Collaborations to Develop and Deploy Flood Inundation Maps

Texas Floodplain Management Association

2011 Fall Conference

September 22, 2011

What is Flood Inundation Mapping?

Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) is a real-time,

operational tool that visually relates USGS

streamgage readings and NWS forecasts to flood

risk for the primary purpose of public safety, but

also has significant benefits of:

• Understanding changing natural processes that

produce hazards

• Development of hazard mitigation strategies and

technologies

• Effectively reduce vulnerability and repetition of

loss to infrastructure

• Promotion of risk-wise behavior

Overview

• Review of NWS Flood Inundation Mapping

Program

– Current locations and planned future work

• Review of USGS Flood Inundation Mapping

Initiative (FIMI)

– Current and future work

• Review of Collaborative Projects between

NWS and USGS

– Incorporation of maps into HAZUS

3

NWS FLOOD INUNDATION MAPPING PROGRAM

Status and Goals

Status of AHPS Flood Inundation Mapping Services

5

62 AHPS Flood Inundation Map Libraries

Federal Guidelines Version 3 (Commonality Across Agencies)

QA/QC Plan and Training

http://water.weather.gov

Direction of AHPS Flood Inundation Mapping Services

6

• Public wants Common Tools and Features such as

Google

• Emergency Managers need Enhanced Decision

Support Tools to support Weather Ready goals

• According to recent NWS CFI customer survey,

responses increased by 250%.

• The number of respondents who claimed to be a

personal user increased from 8 to 21 thousand or

roughly 64% of all respondents.

• The number of respondents for Emergency Response

remained consistent.

NWS Stakeholder Surveys

Direction of AHPS Flood Inundation Mapping Services

7

• Same Information Across Multiple Platforms

(Collaborations with Multiple Federal Agencies)

• Common Tools and Features

• Underlying Fundamental Science

• Supported By Subject Matter Experts

Meeting Stakeholder Needs

Operational

Science

Human

Dimension

Technical

Direction of AHPS Flood Inundation Mapping Services

Better Visualization

Enhanced Communication of Flood Risk and

Likelihood for Flooding

Flood Loss Potentials

Meeting Stakeholder Power User Needs

Concept from NWS Aptima Report,

which surveyed EM, reservoir

operator, and user.

USGS FLOOD INUNDATION MAPPING INITIATIVE

Status and Goals

Flood Library Tools

Static Inundation Map Libraries

FIMI Web Mapping Application “New” Features

• Decision Matrix – ability to show

two linked dependent sites for one

reach

• WaterAlert

– Subscribe in the application

• WaterWatch

– Set the historical context for

current flows using another USGS

product

• NWS forecast linkage

– Working on which forecasts and

how to display

• SharePoint form for submission of

libraries from USGS WSCs

Next Steps in Products and Communications

• Toolbox and Map libraries

– Continue to elaborate on the guidance and templates as

needs arise through the pilot projects and

cooperator/partner needs

– Add NWS Inundation Libraries and more links to AHPS

• Continue WMA development

– Integrate more seamlessly with NWS forecasts

• Combined live hydrograph and APTIS uncertainty communication

ideas

– Integrate with more NWS tools and web services

– Work on including HAZUS information

and maybe Dynamic Mapping

– Explore print feature further with the SPN

COLLABORATIVE PROJECTSLinking FIM to USGS WMA and FEMA HAZUS

Goals of the Interagency Flood Inundation Mapping Meetings

RiskMAP (Mapping Assessment Planning)

Incentives – NFIP Community Rating System

Information - Coordinated Needs Mgmt System (CNMS)

Hydraulic Models and Model Development

Critical Infrastructure Data

Geospatial Resources (LIDAR, DEM)

Web Resources and Tools

Coordinated outreach

Real-time Data (River Stages, Precipitation, Soils,

Projected Releases, Operational Data)

Flood Warning and Observations Network

Flood Forecast and Predictions

Enhance inter-agency collaboration to better

communicate flood risks and reduce repetitive flood losses

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Recent Activities Related to FIM USGS and NWS SOW

Funding Documents

USGS conducted preliminary HAZUS

Assessment using NWS AHPS

Shapefiles and Depth Rasters

USACE National Levee Database

Review of Various Flood Awareness

Tools

USACE FEMA Sponsored Silver

Jackets Workshop in August 2011

Interagency Coordination

USGS Hazus-MH Assessments

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• USGS has processed large percentage of the NWS AHPS FIM

Shapefiles and Depth Rasters

• Half of the Initial Results show 1 to 4B dollars in financial exposure

• Delaware River at Trenton, NJ had potentially 40,00 people at Risk

• Iowa River at Iowa City had 3B dollars at risk

Initial Results

NWS AHPS FIM Lessons Learned

Cost Savings by Partnering

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• Additional cost to complete one inundation map library as part of a FEMA

FIS or local Riverine Flood Study: 5 – 10 K (~5 to 10% cost increase)

• Cost doubles and time increases if inundation map library is created after

the study is completed: 15 – 20 K

• Develop inundation libraries in conjunction with Flood Study yields

significant user benefit for small incremental cost and address map

maintenance for local communities

Efficiency goes upCosts go down

Cost Savings by Partnering

NWS AHPS and USGS FIMI Lessons Learned

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Phase 3 cost to implement one inundation map library:

Current Implementation

• on NWS AHPS via current interface: 8K

Proposed Implementation

• on NWS AHPS Google interface: estimated 3-5K (Public)

• on USGS FIMI Web Mapping Application: 1.5 K * (Power-user)

* Need to be evaluated for web traffic, bandwidth, and high loading.

Efficiency goes upCosts go down

July 1994 Flooding in Albany, GA

•17 inches of rain from Hurricane Alberto

•Hundreds of millions in damages

•23,000 people evacuated

Prototype

Web Interface:

Regional

Analysis

Functional Test Incorporating FIM into HAZUS

Prototype

Web Interface:

Analysis of

single census

block

Albany State

University

Functional Test Incorporating FIM into HAZUS

Estimated Loss vs Stage - Flint River at Albany, GA

Breakout into low lying

residential area

Running HAZUS for multiple stages opens up new possibilities for analysis:

USGS/FIMI Web Portal – Mockup of HAZUS Functionality

HAZUS Analysis of Single Census Block

Census Block Boundary

Web Application Schematic

Inundation Polygons

& Depth Grids

Local parcel &

infrastructure data

Multiple HAZUS Runs

Offline

Online

Web

Service

ApplicationServer

Database

FIMI Web Portal

Notional Plan & Timeline

Phase 1 (FY2011-12)• Begin Level 1 HAZUS flood risk analyses for (~60) NWS Inundation Mapping

Locations, (FEMA/USGS)

• Add pilot HAZUS capability to FIMI Web portal. Begin development of manual

with standards and guidelines for new site development.

Phase 2 (FY2012-13)• Complete and QA/QC Level 1 HAZUS analyses.

• Based on evaluations from Phase 1, develop Level 2 HAZUS capability for a

selected subset of the 60 NOAA/NWS sites.

• Draft manual with guidelines and standards for new site development

Phase 3 and beyond….TBD

NWS FIM Sites Ranked by AffectedPopulation and Dollar Value of Assets

The Path Forward

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• Commit to a Prototype Demonstration for Flood

Inundation Web Mapping Services, which will link real-

time observations, flood forecasts and warnings, and FIM

with geospatial flood hazard information from FEMA’s

HAZUS program prior to December 31st.

• Collect available resource to design, develop, implement

subsequent prototype demonstrating coastal components

of the Flood Inundation Mapping Tool.

• Work towards common standards for flood inundation

mapping products, such that shapefiles and rasters can

be shared and consumed by various viewers for the public

and power user.

Questions?