Paper 520

Author: Devon Humphrey, President
Organization: Virtual Landscape Technologies, inc./GEOWAREHOUSE

150 Sunset Ridge
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Phone: 1-800-704-6709
devon@geowarehouse.com

Title: Integrating Real-Time Weather Data and GIS Information for EMS, Fire, and Disaster Management

ABSTRACT
Weather significantly impacts operational decisions made by emergency, fire, and disaster management organizations. Weather data (such as near real-time NEXRAD weather radar, lightning, severe weather, winds, and forecasts) can be integrated with emergency management-related resources in a GIS environment. Examples of combined weather and GIS information to aid emergency decision support will be presented.

For years, emergency responders in federal, state and local government have relied upon broadcast reports from the National Weather Service and/or commercial radio and TV stations in order to make response decisions and inform the public of dangerous weather situations. New realtime weather data delivered via satellite and integrated into the GIS can allow for more timely and accurate warnings and decisions to be made by these emergency responders. Data can include NEXRAD weather radar imagery, rainfall estimates, lightning strike information, as well as storm tracking and prediction. This information can be viewed and analyzed in conjunction with other GIS data layers, which can contain detailed local information.

Several applications of this technology will be discussed:
1. Severe weather warnings
2. Hurricane response
3. Oil spill response
4. Wildfire forecasting and response

Memorial Day Weekend 2000 in Austin, Texas was a hot one. There is nothing unusual about that. The 100 degree heat and stifling humidity allowed a large line of severe thunderstorms to build during the late afternoon and evening, bringing back memories of the Austin Memorial Day Flood of May 24-25, 1981. In the 1981 episode, strong thunderstorms persisted over the weekend saturating the ground. Over ten inches of heavy rain in just four hours caused flash flooding and loss of 13 lives. Over $40 million in property damage was caused by this storm (i).

All of the local TV stations and all but one radio station were knocked off the air by the 1981 storm and station engineers could not even reach the transmitter sites to re-establish power due to the flash flooding around the hills where the towers are located. One station, KHFI, was somehow spared this fate and remained on the air, providing timely reports of the flooding as it spread throughout the city and surrounding area. This station saved many lives and pointed out the need for emergency preparedness and dissemination of warnings. GEOWAREHOUSE president, Devon Humphrey, was working on the air at KHFI that day and was personally involved with news gathering and broadcasting of live reports from listeners and reporters in the field. In one case a flash flood, or wall of water, was crashing through a neighborhood and a listener was able to call in the report and warn thousands of people to move to higher ground. One station employee was highlighted in Billboard magazine for actually swimming to work in relief of the radio station crew, which stayed on the air for over 12 hours during the storm. In those days, there was not easy access to weather radar and the TV stations that had it, were off the air and powerless to warn the public. A new City of Austin Emergency Operations Center was formed in the wake of this storm to provide a command center for the city emergency response crews. The state Emergency Operation Center followed suit a few years later.

The storm that occurred Memorial Day Weekend of 2000 was not a sustained flooding event, but rather a strong line of severe thunderstorms containing hail, high winds and heavy rain. Literally 100,000 people were enjoying boating, camping and other outdoor activities that afternoon in and around area lakes, unaware of the approaching squall. While the storm developed quite rapidly, it was visable on NEXRAD radar as it strengthened and moved toward the highland lakes and city of Austin. A National Weather Service warning was not issued in time to alert anyone about the storm. At GEOWAREHOUSE, we monitored this development with great interest, being directly in the path of the storm.

A properly equipped emergency management center could have observed this storm and could have issued warnings of their own. The weekend crews at local radio and TV stations also missed the boat, due to a lack of timely information. Internet sources of weather information often lag behind 30 minutes to an hour, or more. One of the local Austin TV station's web sites actually showed a clear map, with no radar echoes at all! The Kavouras wx.com site clearly showed the developing storm. Only LIVE or near-realtime data can be trusted in an emergency. Fortunately, the recent storm caused no major damage or loss of life, but things could have been a lot worse. Boaters and campers were caught off-guard and dozens of youth sports games that should have been called off were played, due to the fact that no one knew what was coming. The only shelter from the storm being a baseball dugout or car.

Realtime weather information including radar from NWS NEXRAD, rainfall estimates and lightning strikes can be displayed as themes or layers in ArcView GIS, along with any other relevant GIS data such as streets, response districts and even GPS tracking information received from emergency responders, police and fire/rescue units. Precise warnings and dispatches of emergency crews can be made based upon this information and a record of what happened, where and when can be recorded. This is a drastic improvement over trying to rely upon commercial radio, TV or the Weather Channel for emergency response information. New automated call-out systems can actually directly contact the majority of local residents by telephone, if necessary, even in the middle of the night when no one is tuned in to local TV or radio. These systems can be tied to the GIS for accurate notification when warranted.

Hurricanes do not usually catch coastal residents by surprise. The Galveston, Texas Hurricane (West India Hurricane) of 1900 resulted in total devastation to the barrier island community and it is estimated that 5,000-8,000 lives were lost. On September 8, 1900, we did not have satellites, radar and other mass communication technologies. Even so, hurricane warnings had been posted for two days in advance of the huge storm and over 12,000 residents fled the island. Of the 5,000-8,000 people that remained on the island, only about 100 people survived. Most drowned in the 15 foot storm surge. This un-named hurricane is often called "the single worst weather disaster in U.S. history" (ii). Today, we have much better forecasting and warning systems and while hurricanes can be quite fickle, they are still no big surprise. The main considerations now are notifying the correct areas for evacuation in time to accomplish such a mass exodus using pre-determined evacuation routes, responding to storm damage and cleanup after the storm. Realtime weather information can assist in these areas as well.

More people live in the coastal zone than ever before. That is the reason that each new hurricane is touted as the "worst ever" in terms of financial loss. The storms are not necessarily stronger, but more people and property are affected than ever before. In the case of evacuation planning, notifying too many people or moving too late can be a bigger problem than not notifying anyone at all.

Hurricane Bret, which made landfall south of Corpus Christi, Texas in August of 1999, was a strong storm and many residents stayed so long making preparations that they were advised to remain at home or seek other local shelter, rather than attempt to escape by the interstate highway evacuation route, which were crowded with traffic. The northbound lanes leading away from the coast were open, but not the southbound. Most hurricane evacuation plans include opening all lanes to traffic one way - OUT. Not being prepared for this situation kept more people from evacuating the coastal zone. The Texas Department of Public Safety says that next time they will open all lanes to outbound traffic. A GIS can assist with locating barricades and blocking access points to inbound traffic, making this task easier. Storm tracking and prediction is crucial in this situation. Local knowledge of evacuation routes and low-lying areas can be merged with the realtime weather data to better prepare for and execute an evacuation. After the storm, rainfall totals, lightning strikes and storm tracks can provide a starting point for damage assessment and cleanup. Insurance companies can move in to serve clients in hard-hit areas and many are already using GIS, GPS and weather data to accomplish this.

Marine spills threaten the coastlines of many countries and most U.S. coastal states have oil spill prevention and response agencies to address this threat. Weather is often a driving force for oil slicks and can determine where and how to deploy response vessels and crews. In the case of the Texas Gulf Coast, bay spills are almost entirely driven by winds. Cold fronts, squall lines and their associated wind shifts can turn a good response effort into folly. Imagine deploying a cleanup crew to one side of a bay, only to have a wind shift and then the oil slick strikes the other side of the bay instead, where no crews are present. It can take considerable time to move personnel and equipment around a large bay such as Galveston or Corpus Christi. GPS tracking of skimmers or aerial application of dispersants can be shown in relation to the weather and other GIS data within ArcView GIS. This timely information, layered within the GIS can help to make better decisions.

Wildfires are another threat, whether caused by natural forces, set by arsonists or in the case of prescribed burns that get out of hand. VLTi/GEOWAREHOUSE has assisted with prescribed burns and these can only take place under VERY SPECIFIC conditions as set out by the US Forest Service, NRCS and local officials. Usually, very specific humidities, wind speeds and directions and vegitative moisture contents are set as parameters. Long and short term forecasts are usually taken into consideration, but realtime weather data would allow for more informed decisions, as conditions may change drastically between the regular forecast times, which can be 6-8 hours apart.

The recent New Mexico wildfires are a good example of how all of the critical weather information did not make it to the burn planners. The information was available from the NWS regarding predicted high winds and low humidities, yet prescribed burns proceeded as planned. A GIS integrating all of the relevant information such as moisture, wind speed and direction, slope, fuel (woods and brush) and the required fire breaks can clearly show dangerous or acceptable conditions for burning. VLTi/GEOWAREHOUSE assisted Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park with an Arcview-based planning tool that takes many of these factors into account.

Once a wildfire is out of control, the fire-fighting crews can benefit from realtime weather information as they plan fire breaks, plans of attack and evacuations. GPS transponders on the fire-fighting units, including aircraft can be shown on the GIS to show where firebreaks have been created, fire retardant has been applied and for locating and dispatching of emergency response crews.

Each of the emergency response examples given here illustrate the benefit of realtime weather data, used within the GIS. The fact that it can all be delivered in realtime or near realtime via satellite to an ArcView or ArcInfo user means that you can actually "take it on the road", if necessary, in a mobile command center. The required equipment is a 30 inch satellite dish, receiver and PC running Arcview GIS and certain extensions. The data is provided by subscription, based upon what type of information is desired. Each and every local community can now afford to equip itself with the tools and information necessary for better emergency response and the public is better served as a result.

More information on Kavouras realtime weather data for GIS can be found on the GEOWAREHOUSE web site at http://www.geowarehouse.com .

i Texas Weather by George W. Bomar, 1983.
ii Texas Weather by George W. Bomar, 1983.