HAZUS-MH Flood Model
The HAZUS-MH Flood Model allows planners and other practitioners to carry out a wide range of flood hazard analyses, including:
- Studies of specific return intervals of floods (e.g., 100-year return interval).
- Studies of discharge frequencies, including analysis of discharges from specific streams and the exposure to buildings and population from the resultant flooding.
- Studies of annualized losses from flooding.
- Quick Look assessments, which allows the user to quickly evaluate potential flooding from specific flood depths at specific locations.
- What if scenarios, which allows users to evaluate the consequences of specific actions, such as the introduction of flow regulation devices, acquisition of flood-prone properties, and other mitigation measures.
The flood loss estimation methodology consists of two modules that carry out basic analytical processes: flood hazard analysis and flood loss estimation analysis. The flood hazard analysis module uses characteristics, such as frequency, discharge, and ground elevation to estimate flood depth, flood elevation, and flow velocity. The flood loss estimation module calculates physical damage and economic loss from the results of the hazard analysis.
New Features in HAZUS-MH MR4 Flood Model
-
Provides a dam/levee analysis capability.
-
Incorporates NFIP entry dates that permit the Flood model to distinguish between census blocks that are Pre-FIRM and those that are Post-FIRM.
-
Modifies topological data for Census Track and Census Block geometrics in the state DVDs.
-
Provides for consistent generation of debris results.
-
Allows digital elevation mapping for Hawaii.
-
Corrects mapping in the Inventory tables for utilities and day time and night time vehicle count and dollar exposure.
-
Corrects percentage values in the detailed results tables for agricultural loss.
-
Fixes 63 bugs in all.
HAZUS-MH Flood Model Applications
The Flood Model has been widely used by State and local officials for risk assessment and mitigation planning, including:
-
Pennsylvania Statewide Flood Hazard Study (2007), which includes damage estimates for 10-, 50-, 100-, 200- and 500-year flood events.
-
State of Maryland Flood Hazard Study (2006), which includes a vulnerability assessment of the state's built environment to riverine and coastal flooding.
Last Modified: Friday, 18-Sep-2009 17:28:17 EDT