Presented at the 2011 Texas GIS Forum

1. Texas Floodplain Management Association
2011 Fall Conference
September 22, 2011
Collaborations to Develop and Deploy Flood
Inundation Maps
David R. Maltby II
USGS TX WSC
Gregory P. Shelton
NWS West Gulf RFC

2. 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

3. 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
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4. Status and Goals
NWS FLOOD INUNDATION
MAPPING PROGRAM

5. Status of AHPS
Flood Inundation Mapping Services
http://water.weather.gov
 62 AHPS Flood Inundation Map Libraries
 Federal Guidelines Version 3 (Commonality Across Agencies)
 QA/QC Plan and Training
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6. Direction of AHPS
Flood Inundation Mapping Services
NWS Stakeholder Surveys
• 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.
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7. Direction of AHPS
Flood Inundation Mapping Services
Meeting Stakeholder Needs
• Same Information Across Multiple Platforms
(Collaborations with Multiple Federal Agencies)
Human • Common Tools and Features
Dimension
• Underlying Fundamental Science
• Supported By Subject Matter Experts
Operational
Science
Technical
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8. Direction of AHPS
Flood Inundation Mapping Services
Meeting Stakeholder Power User Needs
Better Visualization
Enhanced Communication of Flood Risk and
Likelihood for Flooding
Flood Loss Potentials
Concept from NWS Aptima Report,
which surveyed EM, reservoir
operator, and user.

9. Status and Goals
USGS FLOOD INUNDATION
MAPPING INITIATIVE

10. Flood Library Tools

11. Static Inundation
Map Libraries

12. 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

13. 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

14. Linking FIM to USGS WMA and FEMA HAZUS
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS

15. Goals of the Interagency Flood
Inundation Mapping Meetings
Enhance inter-agency collaboration to better
communicate flood risks and reduce repetitive flood losses
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

16. Interagency Coordination
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
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17. USGS Hazus-MH Assessments
Initial Results
• 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
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18. NWS AHPS FIM Lessons Learned
Cost Savings by Partnering
Costs go down Efficiency goes up
• 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
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19. NWS AHPS and
USGS FIMI Lessons Learned
Cost Savings by Partnering
Costs go down Efficiency goes up
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.
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20. July 1994 Flooding in Albany, GA
•17 inches of rain from Hurricane Alberto
•Hundreds of millions in damages
•23,000 people evacuated

21. Functional Test Incorporating FIM into
HAZUS
Prototype
Web Interface:
Regional
Analysis

22. Functional Test Incorporating FIM into
HAZUS
Prototype
Web Interface:
Analysis of
single census
block
Albany State
University

23. Estimated Loss vs Stage - Flint River at
Albany, new possibilities for analysis:
Running HAZUS for multiple stages opens up
GA
Breakout into low lying
residential area

24. USGS/FIMI Web Portal – Mockup of HAZUS Functionality

25. HAZUS Analysis of Single Census Block
Census Block Boundary

26. Web Application Schematic
Offline
Multiple HAZUS Runs
Inundation Polygons Local parcel &
& Depth Grids infrastructure data
Online
Web
Service
Server
Application
Database
FIMI Web Portal

27. 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

28. NWS FIM Sites Ranked by Affected
Population and Dollar Value of Assets

29. The Path Forward
• 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.
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30. Questions?