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HAZUS Methodology:
Earthquake
Wind
Flood
Coastal |
Flood Methodology
HAZUS is a nationally applicable methodology and software program for estimating potential losses from earthquakes, floods, and wind.HAZUS is being developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under contract with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), who maintains a committee of flood and engineering experts to provide technical oversight and guidance to the project. ABS Consulting (formerly EQE International) and Michael Baker Jr. Corporation are the technical subcontractors developing the flood model.
Flood Model
The new HAZUS Flood Model was released in 2003 as part of the new multihazard version and is capable of assessing riverine and coastal flooding, estimating potential damages to all classes of buildings, essential facilities, transportation lifelines, and utility lifelines, vehicles, and agricultural areas. The model addresses debris generation and shelter requirements. Direct losses are based on physical damage to structures, contents, and building interiors. The effects of flood warning are taken into account, as are flow velocity effects and beneficial effects.
The model uses state-of-the-art geographic information system software (ArcGIS) to map and display flood hazard data, and the results of damage and loss estimates for buildings and infrastructure. It also allows users to estimate the impacts of flooding to populations.
The model operates at Level 1, utilizing existing national inventory and hazard data sets, and at Level 2 with user-supplied local data for more refined results. Level 3 analysis allows users to supply their own techniques to analyze special conditions and to improve the national inventory data sets.
Flood Information Tool
The Flood Information Tool (FIT) was released in mid 2002, ahead of the Flood Model, to allow users to begin collecting and sorting local flood hazard data, as well as other pertinent data, for the Level 2 analysis. The FIT is now integrated with the flood model and guidance is provided in the Users Manual.
Multihazard Inventory Tools
The Comprehensive Data Management System (CDMS) and the Building Inventory Tool (BIT) include capabilities for mulithazard data collection. CDMS assists users with collecting and managing local building data for more refined analyses than are possible with the national level data sets that come with HAZUS.
Inventory data overlain on flood depths to assign an inundation depth to each structure.
Current Development
Enhancements continue on the HAZUS Flood Model software to improve its performance in terms of the speed and accuracy of the analyses and to continue essential coordination with changes to ArcGIS. A Flood Model validation study is being conducted by ASFPM. A new maintenance release, HAZUS-MH MR3, was recently issued by FEMA.
User Support
Technical support is available to users over the phone and fax and through email. FEMA also sponsors training and many local HAZUS User Groups (HUGS) are sources of support.
The figure below shows the elements of the Flood Model.
Summary
The Flood Model allows users to
- formulate and evaluate policy and develop general mitigation strategies programs to reduce flood losses;
- estimate required resources for disaster relief;
- improve emergency response planning through scenario analysis;
- plan response and recovery efforts during floods;
- plan for debris removal and assistance following floods;
- estimate displaced households and shelter requirements; and
- conduct multiple levels of analysis with national level data sets as well as user and expert supplied data.
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