Hurricane Ike
Recovery Efforts in Unincorporated Areas of
Galveston County
Presented to
NWF Conference
February 28, 2012
Michael Tehrani, P.E., CFM
Dewey H. Brunt III, P.E.
Hurricane 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 Recovery
Galveston County Storm Surge
14.8 ft
12.6 ft
12.0 ft
16.0 ft
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Galveston County Inundation Depths
Hurricane Ike Recovery
NFIP Requirements
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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 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 Recovery
Damage Assessments
• Galveston County Unincorporated Areas
– Mainland
– Bolivar Peninsula
• Phased Process
– Preliminary Damage Assessments
– Detailed Inspections / Residential Substantial Damage
Assessments (RSDE)
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Damage Assessment Tools
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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 Recovery
Challenges for Processing the Data
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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 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 Recovery
Organizational Integration
Hurricane Ike Recovery
GCAD Data Example
Hurricane Ike Recovery
GCAD Data - San Leon
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Huitt-Zollars Project Limits
BROADWAY ST
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Floodplain Boundary
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Structures to be Inspected
Hurricane Ike Recovery
GIS Map-Making Example – San Leon
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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 Recovery
Preliminary Damage Assessment Map
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Detailed Inspection Map
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Substantially Damaged Structures
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Unincorporated Mainland Area
Preliminary Damage Assessment
Structures
Minimal or Minor Damage
1,236
Potential Substantial Damage
1,774
Total
3,010
Detailed Inspection
Of the 1,774 Potential Substantial Damage Structures,
564 were classified as Substantially Damaged.
Hurricane Ike Recovery
GIS Map-Making Example – Bolivar
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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
Hurricane Ike Recovery
USGS Oblique Aerial Photo
of Bolivar Peninsula
Hurricane Ike Recovery
USGS Oblique Aerial Photo
of Bolivar Peninsula
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Pre–Ike Parcel Map
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Post–Ike Parcel Map
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Bolivar Peninsula
Preliminary Damage Assessment
Structures
Minimal or Minor Damage
1,064
Potential Substantial Damage
663
Destroyed or Washed Away
3,451
Total
5,178
Detailed Inspection
Of the 663 Potential Substantial Damage Structures,
229 were classified as Substantially Damaged
Hurricane Ike Recovery
New Technology
FEMA SDE Program
Geocoded Photos
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Reduce Inspection Time
Reduce processing Time
Increased Organization & Accuracy
Improve Decision Process
Limited to Outside of Structures
Hurricane Ike Recovery
7th
Geocoded Photos
Hurricane Ike Recovery
Questions