Flash Flood Pilot Project: Prepared for Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Flash Flood Coalition Sarah Eason, Mark Tijerina, Cooper Sims, John Paul Rodriquez

Summary The implementation of a statewide GIS for Low Water Crossings (LWCs) Swift Water Rescues (SWRs) Would provide the Texas Flash Flood Coalition (TFFC) and other Texas agencies with a better understanding of the relationship between the number and locations of these sites Would present spatial resources that can be used to prevent future deaths and injuries related to flash floods. 8.

Purpose Currently, no known database exists containing LWCs in Texas, and the SWR records are little more than lists of incidences. Elite Water Rescue Prevention Consultants (EWRP Consultants) will create a GIS containing both documented and potential LWC sites as well as SWRs reported in This is essential for achieving a way to answer the questions surrounding the fact of Texas’ anomalously high number of flood-related fatalities. 9.

Scope LWC Data SWR Data from 2007 To be entered in order of highest number of fatalities: (red) counties (green) counties (blue) counties 4. remaining 130 counties 6.

Data Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) State Fire Marshall’s Office National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Flash Flood Alley

Methodology Geocode SWR data Analysis of Potential LWC

Methodology

Expected Results Create an extensive GIS for Low Water Crossing sites as well as potential Low Water Crossing sites that have not yet been documented. Maps showing the locations of all of the Swift Water Rescues that occurred in Spatial correlation between the location of the Swift Water Rescue and the location of the nearest Low Water Crossing. Answering the questions surrounding Texas’ extremely high rate of flood related fatalities.

Budget Data Acquisition: 2 consultants working 10 hrs. per week for 5 weeks and 2 consultants working 5 hours per week for 5 weeks So total hours are 125 and they make $40 per hour bringing the total to $5, Data Analysis: 3 consultants working 10 hrs. per week for 5 weeks 2 consultants working 7 hrs. per week for 2.5 weeks 2 consultants working 5 hrs. per week for 2.5 weeks The total cost for data analysis comes out to $8,400 System Management: Project Manager-works 50 hours at $65 per hour bringing the total to $3, Assistant Manager- works 30 hours at $55 per hour bringing the total to $1, Web Developer- works 15 hours at $45 per hour bringing the total to $ GIS Analyst- works 20 hours at $20 per hour bringing the total to $400 The total cost for system management is $5,975.00

Budget Equipment Cost (10 weeks): Supplies- 1 cell phone at $40 for 2.5 months brings the total to $100 and 2 computers at $650 per month for 2.5 months brings the total to $3,250. Maintenance- We have 4 workstations costing $145 each which totals $580 Depreciation- The total cost of depreciation for the equipment totals $ (Value/Life*Use) Data: 4 Software Licenses bought from ESRI at $2,500 each which totals $10,000 Total Cost for Entire project: $33,587.91

Timeline Data Acquisition Weeks 1-3: Research and download applicable project data from: -TNRIS for DEMs, County Roads and County Boundaries -NOAA for Daily Precipitation Levels -ESRI for North American Hydrology Processing/Analysis Weeks 4-8:Process and conduct analysis on the following: -Geocode existing SWR data from 2007 Excel file -Identify LWC for target counties using topographic, hydrologic, and transportation datasets -Determine and analyze a buffer on any road found to be within LWC crossing zone Web Design Weeks 8-9:Web design will include the following: -Creation, design and layout of project website -Upload all finalized documents, maps and digital data -Verify all website content, links and pages Final Deliverables Weeks 9-10: Final Deliverables will include: -Produce all final reports and maps -Create final presentation -Incorporate all project media along with instructional use on CD -Produce final project poster

Timeline

Final Deliverables EWRP Consultants will provide: Detailed final report with all maps A Professional Poster Website dedicated to the project Two CDs containing All data Metadata Report PowerPoint Presentation Instructions explain the usage of the CD Readme file

Conclusion EWRP Consultants will establish the first GIS for SWR and LWC. Provide information better understand LWC and how they interact with SWR. Be better equipped to handle the many unanswered questions about LWC and SWR. Helpful to perform complex analysis and clarify spatial relationships needed by the TFFC. GIS could be built on to in an attempt to clarify safety and educate of the communities in the red, green and blue counties in Texas.

Reference Pam Showalter – Co-director International Flash Flood Laboratory Yongmei Lu – International Flash Flood Laboratory Hatim Sharif – Texas Flash Flood Coalition Marshal Frech – Texas Flash Flood Safety David Zane – TDSHS (Disaster Epidemiologist, Community Preparedness Section) Crystal Beasley – EMS/Trauma Registry group Tracy Haywood – GIS Lead – Community Preparedness Section Russ Jones – Epidemiologist, Health Service, Region 7

Participation Project Manager Sarah Eason – Introduction (Summary, Purpose, Scope,) Data, Methodology, and Implications Assistant Project Manager/Web Master J. P. Rodriguez – Final Deliverables, Conclusion, Reference, Participation, and Logo GIS Analyst Cooper Sims– Chief Researcher, Logo, Budget, and Cover page GIS Analyst Mark J. Tijerina – Timetable, Timeline, Table of Contents, Proposal Design and Format and Maps