NEHRP Clearinghouse

Title
Flood Information Tool User Manual. Revision 7.
File
PB2008106011.pdf
Source
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC., April 1, 2003, 104 p.
Abstract
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), has developed a standardized, nationally-applicable natural hazards loss estimation methodology. This methodology is implemented through PC-based geographic information system (GIS) software called HAZUSMH. HAZUSMH applies a multi-hazard methodology, with models for estimating potential losses from earthquake, flood (riverine and coastal), and wind (hurricanes) hazards. The flood loss estimation methodology consists of two basic analytical processes: flood hazard analysis and flood loss estimation analysis. Flood hazards in the FIT are divided into riverine and coastal. In the riverine hazard module, characteristics such as frequency, discharge, and terrain elevation are used to model the spatial variation in flood elevation and flood depth. In the coastal hazard module, characteristics such as frequency, stillwater elevations, wave conditions, and terrain information are used to model the spatial variation in flood-induced erosion, flood elevation, and flood depth. The Flood Information Tool (FIT) is an ArcGIS extension designed to process user-supplied flood hazard data into the format required by the HAZUSMH Flood Model. The FIT, when given user-supplied inputs (e.g., ground elevations, flood elevations, and floodplain boundary information), computes the extent, depth and elevation of flooding for riverine and coastal hazards.
Keywords
Models; Wind; Floods; Conversion methods; Geographic information system (GIS) software; Menu options; Analytical processes; Project setup; Validation; Flood Information Tool (FIT); Natural hazards loss estimation methodology; Natural disasters; Coastal analysis; Estimating; HAZUSMH; Potential losses; Input data; Riverine analysis; Earthquakes