Visualizing Hazards Using GIS: The Buncombe County Multi-Hazard Risk Tool

Todd Pierce, RENCI at UNC Asheville 04.28.10

RENCI Statewide Mission - “To deliver technology and research from the UNC campuses to the people of the state of North Carolina.”

RENCI at UNC Asheville Engagement Center

“Decision Support tools for Flood Mitigation, Emergency Response and Water Resource Issues”Based at UNC Asheville’s NEMAC

Introduction: What is RENCI?

UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis CenterApplied Research and Technology development on integration of environmental and climate data sets

Data and GISVisualizationDecision MakingScience Communication

Active Undergraduate Research Collaboration among government, academia and private enterprise

Introduction: What is NEMAC?

Introduction: Overview

The Problem

The Process

The Product

The Problem

The Problem

Buncombe County experiences multiple natural hazardsThe County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) must submit to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) an updated hazard mitigation plan every five years for the CountyThe County’s six towns also submit plansEOC staff wanted a GIS solution to streamline the process and generate maps and reports

The Process: Design

Tool was designed to assist with updating the County’s hazard mitigation plan for FEMA

Determine spatial extent of hazards and their impact on property and infrastructureDetermine property value possibly affected by the hazards

Tool design resulted from several meetings with Angela Ledford, deputy director of Buncombe County EOC, and other planners from Buncombe County and City of Asheville

EOC Planner,City Engineer,Responder

Developer,Realtor,Banker

GeneralPublic

2.Communication

of Risk

4.Scenario Planning

4a.Verification of

DeveloperPlans

3.Assessment

of Risk

1.Determination

of Risk

The Process: Use Cases

EOC Planner,City Engineer,Responder

Developer,Realtor,Banker

GeneralPublic

2.Communication

of Risk

4.Scenario Planning

4a.Verification of

DeveloperPlans

3.Assessment

of Risk

1.Determination

of Risk

The Process: Use Cases

Parcel List Summary Chart

The Process: Original Concept

Iterative Development Process

PowerPoint mockup

The Process: First DesignArcGIS Server serves map layersArcGIS Server API for JavaScript and Dojo

Iterative Development Process

The Process: Current DesignArcGIS Server serves map layersArcGIS Server API for Flex

Iterative Development Process

The Process: Implementation

Tool was rolled out to County, its six towns, and the Asheville Fire Department in March 2009, and training providedTool used by County and towns to update mitigation planTool used by Asheville Fire Department for planning and to help with their agencyre-accreditation

Weaverville

Montreat

Black Mountain

Woodfin

Biltmore Forest

Asheville

Buncombe County

The Product: Description

Online application – can be accessed from any machine with Internet Explorer or FirefoxDisplays map layers in a GIS-like interface –no GIS needed by userMany GIS layers - infrastructure, land use, topography, climate, population, hydrography

Wildfire risk by parcel

The Product: Description

Supports five hazards – flood, wildfire, dams, winter storms, landslides Generates reports on property value at riskData from trusted sourcesPassword protectedPublic version, withsensitive dataremoved, goeslive in May

Value of parcels in floodway

The Product: Technical Details

Tool uses ArcGIS API for FlexTool built using Adobe Flex Builder 3GIS data stored in ArcSDE databases and served online by ArcGIS ServerModelBuilder and Python used to process county parcels every two weeks and intersect them with hazards to create needed layersProperty value reports generated using ColdFusion to query the parcel layer attribute table

The Product: Tour of the Tool

Login Screen

Map

Layer list

Legend

Tools

Navigation

Map with Tools

Checkbox

Transparency

Map Layer Controls

Map Images, Views, and Zooms

Flood Layers

Flood Reports – Parcel Count

Flood Reports – Parcel Value

Flood Reports – Excel Export

Flood Reports – Metadata

Landslide Layers

Landslide Reports

Wildfire Layers

Wildfire Reports

Identify Tool with Parcel Links

Find and Print Tools

Yellow = 1 minRed = 5 minGreen = 10 minBlue = 15 min

Drive Times Tool

Full screen

Google Streetview Link

Help and MetadataContinue

Improve risk modelsFlood model needs flood depths, building locations and elevations, when such data availableLandslide model needs frequency of rain eventsDam model needs to be based on approved models

Add other hazards such as tornado, earthquake, utility failures, hazardous material spills, or drought

The Product: Continuing Development

Earthquake near Hot Springs, NC

Add future build-out scenarios to show if new development would be at riskExpand transportation planning usesImplement in other counties?Bring tool to other users

PlannersDecision MakersGovernment OfficialsCommercial Interests: developers, realtors, bankers, insurance agentsGeneral Public

The Product: Continuing Development

By considering all groups, the tool can bring together disparate audiences and have them make decisions based on the same shared information.

Risk Tool shows the power of using online GIS for hazard planning and risk mitigationMany users in County and towns were able to access GIS data that otherwise was not available to them, or that required use of unavailable GIS packagesHazard mitigation plans updated through use of tool - better data was provided more quickly than by using previous processConsiderable interest from other towns, fire departments, and counties in the Risk Tool

Conclusion tpierce@unca.eduTodd Pierce