Tracking Displaced Populations from Hurricane Katrina

Joseph C. TolandGeospatial Intelligence Unit LeaderDepartment of Homeland SecurityFEMA-3216-EM-TX - Hurricane KatrinaAustin, TXGIS SpecialistDepartment of Homeland SecurityFEMA Region X - 425-482-3717Joseph.toland@dhs.gov

2006 ESRI International Users Conference San Diego, CA - August 9, 2006

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Overview

Hurricane Katrina and Rita Response

Tracking Displaced Populations from Hurricane Katrina and Rita - Recovery

FEMA GIS – An Overview

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RECOVERY - Rebuild Communities and Support Regional Recovery, Rebuild Infrastructure, Support Individual Assistance

FEMA GIS – What do we do?READINESS - Build Regional Contacts, Data, Develop Program Support, Coordinate with Geospatial Community, Regional Go-Kits, Application Development

RESPONSE - Respond to Incidents or Presidential Disaster Declarations, Support ALL Emergency Support Functions in the National Response Plan

Support Decision MakersBuild Common Operational Picture Provide Situation Awareness for Executives

MITIGATION - Work with Geospatial Community, Local and State Governments to Lessen Impacts from Disasters, Build Regional Infrastructure, Research and Publication, Presentation

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Response Operations

MAC

RRCC

ERT JFO Opens - Field Operations

Day - 1

Day - 2

Day - 3

Day - 4

Day - 5Day - 6

Day - 7

Day - 8

RRCC Transition

Intermittent Support

Intermittent Support

Intermittent Support

Response OPS

• Expect 4-6 Weeks of Response Operations for Major Events!

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Hurricane Katrina and Rita Response

September 17, 2005 - GIU Fully Operational – (6) Member Team – FEMA, NOAA, CENSUS, NGA - ALL ESFs Activated

September 24, 2005 - Hurricane Rita Landfall

October 17, 2005 - 4-6 Weeks of Response Activity ensues – USCG Departs - (15) Member Team

September 2, 2006 - FEMA-3216-EM-TX was declared for Texas in support of Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

September 11, 2006 - A Joint Field Office (JFO) was fully operational in Austin, Texas

August 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina made its second landfall at 6:10 a.m. CDT on near Buras-Triumph, Louisiana.

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Hurricane Rita and Katrina Recovery

Hurricane Katrina – Population Displacement Largest since ‘Dust Bowl’ migrations of 1930’s – est. 470,000 in Texas – 770,000 Total!

Sheltering Issues for Rita and Katrina – Large Population from Katrina Compounded Evacuations and Sheltering for Rita

Individual Assistance – Dollars Dispersed in the FEMA Individual Assistance program for the Hurricanes show:

Hurricane Rita disbursements have surpassed all (4) Florida ’05 Hurricanes…

Total Disbursements for Hurricane Katrina in Texas equals roughly 1/3 the total of ALL disbursements in Louisiana…

Hurricane Katrina - was the most destructive natural disaster in U.S. history!

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Hurricane Katrina - Shelters

Estimates claimed that 80% of the 1.3 million residents of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area evacuated

September 8, 2005 - Nationwide evacuees sheltered were near 237,000

Evacuee population in The State of Texas was nearly an order of magnitude greater than any other state outside of Louisiana

Louisiana – 402 shelters max. – 62,000 max. pop.

Texas – 242 shelters max. – 137,000 max. pop.

Nationwide – 1000 shelters max. – 237,000 max pop.

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Tracking Shelter Populations…

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Shelter Populations and Individual Assistance Shelter Data Comparison…

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Tracking Hurricane Rita Population Displacement…

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Hurricane Katrina – Individual Assistance

Individual Assistance - total registrations from Hurricane Katrina and Rita exceeded 2.5 million

1 million teleregistrations - Louisiana - Hurricane Rita contributed an additional 846,000 in both Texas and Louisiana.

Displaced in Texas - 146,153, from a high of 167,191 in late October.

With the US CENSUS nationwide modifiers for people per household (2.59), a total of 378,536 people are reported

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Impacted Populations Comparison…

Joseph Toland – ESRI International Users Conference 2006 - August 9, 2006 13…and Displaced Populations Across Texas!

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Hurricane Katrina – Short-Term/Interim Housing

October 2005 - 195,000 evacuees were staying in 82,000 hotel rooms throughout Texas

Of the 1.1 million people over the age of sixteen who evacuated in August 2005, approximately 500,000 of those evacuees had not returned home by late December.

Nationwide support - 43 Emergency Declarations throughout the country for emergency evacuations.

Direct reimbursement - leased and rental properties for 58,808 separate units.

By mid April, and through June 2006 estimated 148,784 displaced evacuees supported.

Joseph Toland – ESRI International Users Conference 2006 - August 9, 2006 15Tracking Short-Term Housing…

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Katrina Displaced Populations Across the United States!

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Tracking Interim Housing Populations…

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Hurricane Katrina – Volunteer/Repatriation Support

The repatriation numbers (700+) from February 2006 indicate a return to the city of New Orleans.

SWEAT (Sewer – Water – Energy – Administrative –Telecom) report for site assessments

Coordinated Assistance Network (CANs) surveys -23,000 surveys of families and individuals, over 3000 indicated a desire to return to their home.

Katrina Aid Today – Coordinating LTRC committees support for permanent relocation and rebuilding, as well as repatriation

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Special Needs and Voluntary Agency Support…

Joseph Toland – ESRI International Users Conference 2006 - August 9, 2006 20SWEAT Report for Repatriation Program

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Geospatial Unit Staffing and SupportFederal Emergency Management Agency

Army Corps of Engineers

National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

US CENSUS Bureau

Texas Natural Resources Information System

US Coast Guard

Department of Defense

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Energy

Red Cross

Department of Transportation

Urban Search and Rescue

Department of Public Safety

Others

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Lessons Learned

Assemble Database Team ImmediatelyDefine RolesDefine Data StructureDefine Change Management ProcessPlan for Scalability Up Front

Interagency Data Sharing and Coordination - Local Data is ESSENTIAL!

Interagency operations should be pursued immediately (Centralized management with small satellite operations)

FEMA as a Lead Coordinating Body for Federal Agencies