Hurricane Ike

Recovery Efforts in Unincorporated Areas of Galveston County

Presented to

NWF ConferenceFebruary 28, 2012

Michael Tehrani, P.E., CFM

Dewey H. Brunt III, P.E.

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Hurricane Ike

• Landfall on Galveston Island on September 13, 2008

• Category 2 Storm - sustained winds of 110 mph, storm surge 5 to 17 feet.

• Estimated $27 billion in damages, 3rd costliest in U.S. history.

• Thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.

• Damage Inspection Teams from 3 consultants were mobilized on September 21, 2008.

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Galveston County Storm Surge

12.0 ft

16.0 ft

12.6 ft14.8 ft

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Galveston County Inundation Depths

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

NFIP Requirements

• Substantially Damaged Structures are those that the cost of restoring the structure to its pre-damage condition equals or exceeds 50 percent of the pre-damage market value.

• When repaired, Substantially Damaged Structures within the floodplain are required to have the lowest floor elevated to or above the base flood elevation.

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Problem

• Thousands of structures damaged or totally destroyed

• Displaced residents needed to get back to their homes to begin repairs

• Determine degree of damage to structures so that building permits could be issued

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Damage Assessments

• Galveston County Unincorporated Areas– Mainland– Bolivar Peninsula

• Phased Process– Preliminary Damage Assessments– Detailed Inspections / Residential Substantial

Damage Assessments (RSDE)

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Damage Assessment Tools

• GIS• Galveston County Appraisal District (GCAD) • FIRM Maps• FEMA’s RSDE Software, Forms & Guidelines• Aerial Images

– Pre Ike– Post Ike

• Excel Summary Sheet

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Challenges for Processing the Data

• Thousands of Structures required Inspection• Coordination Between Consultants• Coordination with Galveston County • Coordination Between Office and Field

Inspection Crews• Accuracy• Consistency• Organization and Accountability

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Why Use GIS? • Organizational Integration

• GCAD Data • RSDE Software• Excel Spreadsheet (Summary Report)• Aerial Photos• Inspection Photos

• Make Better Decisions• Query Information• Analyze Information

• Make Maps• Excellent Quality• High Flexibility• Very Fast

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Organizational Integration

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

GCAD Data Example

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

GCAD Data - San Leon

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

BROADWAY ST

Huitt-Zollars Project Limits

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Floodplain Boundary

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Structures to be Inspected

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

GIS Map-Making Example – San Leon• Overlay with parcel and address data• Overlay with aerial photo• Identify parcels to be inspected • Verify number of structures on each parcel• Expedited damage inspections

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Preliminary Damage Assessment Map

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Detailed Inspection Map

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Substantially Damaged Structures

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Preliminary Damage Assessment Structures

Minimal or Minor Damage 1,236Potential Substantial Damage 1,774Total 3,010

Unincorporated Mainland Area

Of the 1,774 Potential Substantial Damage Structures, 564 were classified as Substantially Damaged.

Detailed Inspection

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

• Use of Pre- and Post-Ike Pictometry• Overlay with parcel and address data• Identify totally destroyed structures• Identify parcels to be Inspected • Expedited damage inspections

GIS Map-Making Example – Bolivar

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

USGS Oblique Aerial Photo of Bolivar Peninsula

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

USGS Oblique Aerial Photo of Bolivar Peninsula

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Pre–Ike Parcel Map

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Post–Ike Parcel Map

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Bolivar Peninsula

StructuresMinimal or Minor Damage 1,064Potential Substantial Damage 663Destroyed or Washed Away 3,451Total 5,178

Preliminary Damage Assessment

Detailed Inspection

Of the 663 Potential Substantial Damage Structures, 229 were classified as Substantially Damaged

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Geocoded Photos

• Reduce Inspection Time• Reduce processing Time• Increased Organization & Accuracy • Improve Decision Process• Limited to Outside of Structures

New Technology

FEMA SDE Program

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Geocoded Photos

7th

Hurricane Ike RecoveryHurricane Ike Recovery

Questions