FEMA’S GIS Team Uses High-Tech Tools to Help People

DENVER – When Colorado’s historic rains fell last September, help came quickly.

Resources went to areas that needed it most thanks, in part, to the innovative work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region VIII Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) unit in Denver.

The GIS team pushed out a steady stream of critical spreadsheets, maps and updates by coordinating with local, state and federal agencies.  The team had at its disposal satellite imagery so precise it showed the sediment lines of battered neighborhoods.  They used this information to determine locations where the Civil Air Patrol as well as other aircrafts should conduct flyovers to take photos to get additional awareness.  

Then the six-member team combined the numerous images with information from the National Weather Service, flood modeling and sources nearest the inundation.  The result was a geospatial disaster impact assessment that helped identify communities with the greatest impacts.

 “During response we use GIS to estimate impacts to people, buildings, and infrastructure’’ said Jesse Rozelle, GIS coordinator for Region VIII. “We used all of the information to provide situational awareness for decision makers.’’

The team was working almost immediately as the rains began to fall, helping to identify potentially threatened areas.  Following the disaster declaration issued by President Obama, the focus shifted to response and recovery, with plenty of work still ahead for the GIS unit. Five days of rain had caused flooding in areas and ways not typically expected.

 “The flooding wasn’t always contained within the banks of the river or stream,’’ said Nikki Robles, a risk analyst on the GIS team.  “There was a lot of debris in this event which elevated the impacts to people and their property.’’

Although hampered initially by two weeks of thick cloud cover, the GIS unit was able to create increasingly complex products with the addition of yet another tool – LIDAR, which stands for light detection and ranging. LIDAR is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure variable distances to the Earth. It generates precise, three-dimensional information about surface characteristics.  

LIDAR was part of the GIS team’s arsenal when it was called on months later after a high snow pack created a significant spring flood risk to Colorado.

The unit, which was activated as FEMA’s Modeling Task Force, was able to build on its accomplishments during the September 2013 flooding and pinpoint potential problems from remaining debris and changes to the landscape.

Working with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, it developed forecasts for the state identifying newly created chokepoints in rivers and streams – areas where the potential of flooding had changed from previous seasons.  This allowed communities and residents to make better decisions when faced with the threat of spring flooding.

Luckily for Colorado, the worst-case scenario did not happen.  But not before the FEMA Region VIII GIS team had produced situational awareness reports for several months so those potentially in harm’s way had a more complete picture of what was coming their way.

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FEMA’S GIS Team Uses High-Tech Tools to Help People

Flooding Always a Potential Threat

DENVER – As winter comes to a close, communities look forward to the coming of spring and a return to the warm outdoors. But it’s also a time to be aware of the threat of Mother Nature, meaning severe storms and flooding.  Rapid snowmelt or a couple of inches of rainfall can create potential flooding.

FEMA Region VIII Preparedness and Mitigation experts have several recommendations to help people get ready for that threat. Region VIII includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

First and foremost on the list is to get flood insurance. In the region, the average cost of flood insurance is about $700 a year. Since 1978, residents of the six states have collected more than $383 million in insurance payments.

It’s the first thing to do because there is a 30-day waiting period before a policy can take effect. If the waters are rising, it’s too late to purchase a policy.

Other steps you can take to protect your family and your property include:

  • Make sure downspouts carry water several feet from your house to a well-drained area. – About 2,500 gallons of water will come from a 1,000 square foot roof with one foot of snow depth across the roof. This much water may cause problems if allowed to drain next to the house.
  • Examine and clean your sump pump if you have one. Test your sump pump by pouring water into the pit. Make sure the discharge hose carries the water several feet away from the house to a well-drained area. Also make sure that the pipe is on sloped ground so it drains to prevent it from freezing.
  • Remove snow from around rural yards to minimize soft, wet soil conditions. Remember that a 20-foot diameter 10-foot high pile of snow contains about 2,600 gallons of water. Move the snow to well-drained areas.
  • Anchor any fuel tanks. An unanchored tank in your basement can be torn free by floodwaters and the broken supply line can contaminate your basement. An unanchored tank outside can be swept downstream, where it can damage other houses.
  • Have a licensed electrician raise electric components (switches, sockets, circuit breakers and wiring) at least 12″ above your home’s projected flood elevation.
  • Place the furnace and water heater on masonry blocks or concrete at least 12” above the projected flood elevation.
  • If your washer and dryer are in the basement, elevate them on masonry or pressure-treated lumber at least 12” above the projected flood elevation.
  • Plan and practice a flood evacuation route with your family.
  • Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to be the “family contact” in case your family is separated during a flood. Make sure everyone in your family knows the name, address, and phone number of this contact person.

Call 1-800-427-2419 or visit www.FloodSmart.gov to learn more about potential flood risks, flood insurance and how to prepare for floods.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Flooding Always a Potential Threat