Abstract

Communicating Risk: Visualization of Coastal Flood Loss Analyses
Track: Disaster Management and Emergency Response
Authors: Niclaos Almonor, Samuel Wilkins, Gene Longenecker

The FEMA Region IV- Mitigation-Risk Analysis Team is charged with effectively communicating coastal risk and vulnerability. Developing a spatial display of the Region IV Coastal Flood Loss Atlas (CFLA) for use and viewing in an ArcGIS Flex Viewer enhances the efficacy of risk communication. CFLA incorporates the NOAA National Hurricane Center's SLOSH storm surge model into the HAZUS-MH Coastal Flood Model (CFM) using raster depth grid conversion methodology developed by Longenecker (2008, 2009). Thus, the CFLA is a collection of hurricane storm surge risk and vulnerability analyses from the HAZUS CFM. Visualizing the CFLA in a Flex Viewer application allows decision makers to envision hurricane storm surge loss scenarios at the county level before, during, or after an event. These scenarios provide data for hazard mitigation planning, response and recovery operations, and other facets of emergency management.