CAValleyHUG

ArkStorm

2011-01-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

The USGS Multi Hazards Demonstration Project (MHDP)’s second full scenario, called ARkStorm, addresses massive U.S. West Coast storms analogous to those that devastated California in 1861–62.

The ARkStorm is patterned after the 1861–1862 historical events but uses modern modeling methods and data from large storms in 1969 and 1986. The ARkStorm draws heat and moisture from the tropical Pacific, forming a series of Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) that approach the ferocity of hurricanes and then slam into the U.S. West Coast over several weeks.

HAZUS-MH was used extensively for the ARkStorm analysis.

MORE INFO: USGS Multi-Hazard West Coast Winter Storm Project

MORE INFO: Overview of the ARkStorm Scenario

The overview report summarizes a winter storm scenario called ARkStorm (for Atmospheric River 1,000). Experts have designed a large, scientifically realistic meteorological event followed by an examination of the secondary hazards (for example, landslides and flooding), physical damages to the built environment, and social and economic consequences. The hypothetical storm depicted here would strike the U.S. West Coast and be similar to the intense California winter storms of 1861 and 1862 that left the central valley of California impassible. The storm is estimated to produce precipitation that in many places exceeds levels only experienced on average once every 500 to 1,000 years.

Report: Overview of the ARkStorm Scenario (.pdf)...

CalGIS 2011 Conference

2010-10-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

The CalGIS 2011 Conference is looking for GIS presentations to be part the 2011 conference program, particularly those related to water resources, flood management, etc. MORE INFO

Note: The conference abstract submission date is being extended from October 4th ...

If you have any questions contact:
Dan Henderson
CA Valley HUG Coordinator

Army Corps Considers Central Valley Levees 'Unacceptable'

2010-09-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recently rated levee maintenance in three Central Valley cities "unacceptable," making those levees ineligible for federal funding if they're weakened during a major storm.

A recent extensive survey from the Army Corps took two months to complete and looked at problems such as erosion and seepage. The priority was to identify highly-populated zones where the levees are the most critical.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Assessment ...

California Earthquake Preparedness Survey ...

2010-03-08T10:51:00.001-08:00

The California Earthquake Preparedness Survey (CEPS) was conducted by the UCLA School of Public Health and Survey Research Center for the State of California. The objective was to provide baseline data describing how prepared California households are for earthquakes and where they get their information about preparedness and mitigation.

Telephone interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 2,081 households in California between June 26 and December 18, 2008. The sample was stratified into: the ten northern California counties at greatest risk of earthquakes, the six southern California counties at greatest risk, and the remaining 42 lower-risk counties. MORE INFO...

HAZUS-MH Training at Loma Linda University

2009-10-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

HAZUS Comprehensive Data Management Worksop at Loma Linda University

November 16-18 / There are a few seats left.

The course cost is $495 to cover course instruction, materials and lab fee.

MORE INFO / REGISTRATION

HAZUS Training at Loma Linda University

2009-06-11T10:17:00.001-07:00

There are two HAZUS courses scheduled at Loma Linda University this summer...

L313: Basic HAZUS - August 24 to 26, 2009

L317: Comprehensive Data Management for HAZUS-MH - September 21 to 23, 2009

Both courses will be offered for FEMA/EMI credit.

MORE INFO SOON ...

GIS Called Key to California's Future

2009-05-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

To successfully integrate comprehensive GIS solutions across state agencies, an enterprise GIS strategy, coupled with strong executive leadership, was deemed California's best hope for dismantling state IT silos and facilitating cross-agency data sharing at the Conference on California's Future. Also vital to the mission is getting the public to better understand the role GIS can play in the state's success. READ MORE

California Appoints Geospatial Information Officer

2009-03-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

California now has a Geospatial Information Officer, GIO. The CA GIO is responsible for ensuring that the state receives the benefits associated with geospatial data, specifically, increased data access and sharing; reduced duplication and costs; development of technology standards; centers of expertise; public outreach and increased collaboration in state and local governments. READ MORE

California's water supply vulnerable to quakes, floods

2009-03-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

The California Department of Water Resources has just released a study that concludes there is a 40 percent chance that a major earthquake will flood 27 delta islands between now and 2030, costing billions in repairs and knocking out the water source for 25 million Californians for more than a year.

Without intervention, it is estimated that about 140 levees of California's could fail in the next century due to storms or rising seas. An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater could result in fatalities, flooding of islands and costs of $15 billion. In California levees have failed about 160 times in the past 109 years. READ MORE

California Department of Water Resources: Delta Risk Management Strategy - Final Phase 1 Report

CalGIS 2009

2009-03-11T21:03:00.001-07:00

Did you know there is a one-day HAZUS-MH class at the CalGIS 2009 conference? Last we heard there were still seats available. MORE

Army Corps cracks down on flunking levees

2009-03-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

More than 100 levees in 16 states flunked maintenance inspections in the last two years and are so neglected that they could fail to stem a major flood, records from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers show. California was #2 on the list! READ MORE

National Committee on Levee Safety (NCLS) draft version of the Report to Congress on Recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program, DOWNLOAD

Geospatial Coordination Web Site Launched by California Natural Resources Agency

2009-02-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Cal-Atlas site facilitates the coordinated and sustainable development, maintenance, licensing and sharing of geospatial data and web map services by California government agencies, partners and stakeholders. California government agencies work with the California GIS Council, regional GIS collaboratives and the broader California GIS community to define the data architecture, systems, standards, agreements and processes for a fully integrated and effective California Spatial Data Infrastructure. GO THERE

The new Web site will centralize a variety of data and information. Cal-Atlas provides a number of important Web accessible services. These include:

* A catalog for use by organizations to categorize and share information about their geospatial information resources (e.g., maps and geospatial data, Web services and applications)
* A library from which interested parties may obtain Geographic Information System (GIS) data and where agencies can place their data to share with others
* Tools to make it easy to find GIS data and services
* A "gallery" of maps and mapping sites contributed by Cal-Atlas users
* A portal to help organizations work together on GIS data and share the costs of acquiring imagery and other kinds of geospatial data.

Mapping the Zone: Improving Flood Map Accuracy

2009-01-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

FEMA and NOAA asked the National Research Council to examine the factors that affect flood map accuracy; assess the costs and benefits of producing more accurate maps; and recommend ways to improve mapping, communication, and management of flood-related data. The report Mapping the Zone: Improving Flood Map Accuracy concludes significant loss of life, destroyed property and businesses, and repairs to infrastructure could be avoided by replacing FEMA flood maps with ones that contain high-accuracy and high-resolution land surface elevation data. The benefits of more accurate flood maps will outweigh the costs, mainly because insurance premiums and building restrictions would better match the actual flood risks. Coastal region flood maps could also be improved by updating current models and using two-dimensional storm surge and wave models.

PRESS RELEASE
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Many delta islands may be lost

2009-01-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

A recent article in SFGATE says California's levees are in trouble. Rising seas, earthquakes, subsiding land and floods pose dire threats on top of the escalating repair costs to the state. Rather than allowing nature to decide when and how the levees give way, many researchers and policymakers say, California should manage the inevitable reshaping of the delta by deciding which levees to repair after a disaster. READ MORE

FMA Annual Conference - 2009

2008-12-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

Floodplain Management Association Annual Conference - 2009
Sept 7-11, 2009
San Jose, CA
MORE INFO

The CAValleyHUG has suggested that there be a HAZUS-MH round table at this conference.

CAValley HUG Meeting Notes

2008-12-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

The CA Central Valley HAZUS User Group help a meeting on December 17, 2008. Items discussed at this meeting focused on the HAZUS-MH flood model. Download Meeting Minutes

A California Challenge - Flooding in the Central Valley

2008-12-30T17:50:00.000-08:00

The CA Department of Water Resources has released the report A California Challenge - Flooding in the Central Valley. This independent report was prepared by a panel of national flood experts assembled at CA DWR's request. Though the report validates the current flood management funding in-place in CA and recent corrective actions taken by CA DWR, it finds that overall the CV flood control system needs further improvement. DOWNLOAD

New CAValley HUG format

2008-12-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

The CA Central Valley HAZUS User Group web site is being updated to a blog format ...

Levee Scenarios in HAZUS-MH

2008-04-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

Stefan Zink from Michael Baker Jr., Imc. presented a paper at the March 4, 2008 meeting of the Bay Area HAZUS User Group that should also be of interested to the CAValleyHUG. This paper addresses some of the problems in trying to use HAZUS-MH to model levee related flooding in the Sacramento region.

Behind Levee Scenarios in HAZUS: Exploring Possibilities with Different Data Sources, DOWNLOAD

CA OES Guidelines and Tools for Using HAZUS-MH

2008-01-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services has prepared some guidelines and tools for using HAZUS-MH, MORE.