A computer system for hurricane hazard assessment: Fid-Bau Portal

A computer system for hurricane hazard assessment

Berke, Philip / Larsen, Terry / Ruch, Carlton

Abstract Rapid economic development and population growth in coastal regions of the U.S. has resulted in an increase in vulnerability of population and property to the hurricane hazard. State and local emergency management officials need a detailed information base of potential loss estimates to prepare sound emergency preparedness plans. A computer system, known as the Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping System (VAMS), has been designed to estimate the extent and spatial distribution of potential casualties, and losses to housing and commercial-industrial facilities as a result of hurricane landfall. The VAMS system is flexible as users can choose to consider different types of hurricanes with varying surge and wind patterns and points of landfall for determining potential loss estimates within a given study area. The results of the analysis can be displayed in computer-generated grid map form or as summary statistics in tabular form. The VAMS system is then applied to coastal portions of the Houston-Galveston metropolitan area in the State of Texas. The VAMS system is part of a comprehensive hurricane impact study for the Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management.