green infrastructure Archives

Last week, a friend sent me some links to NOAA’s coastal flood exposure mapper and several related sites. The NOAA tools have inland applications, too. Full functionality extends to the northern part of Harris County. The NOAA site combines so many different tools in the flood exposure mapper (and related sites), that they could become the “go to” sites to determine flood risk for many in the Houston region.

Their main value: the ability to overlay many different kinds of information on one map to precisely render the geospatial relationships, and easily share what you see.

The flood-exposure mapper site:

Incorporates FEMA’s flood risk zones
Identifies many more levels and types of risk, and their extent (see below)
Lets you change base layers, so you can view risk zones over maps or satellite images
Lets you toggle layers on and off, and vary their opacity, to help explore risks in your area
Allows you to share the map on your screen by simply copying the web address (as I did in the embedded links below).

17 Different Layers Available

You can render seventeen different types of information and overlay them in different layers.

HAZARD LAYERS

Coastal Flood Hazard Composite
High Tide Flooding
FEMA Flood Zones
Tsunami
Storm Surge
Sea Level Rise

SOCIETAL EXPOSURE

Population Density
Poverty
Elderly
Employees

INFRASTRUCTURE EXPOSURE

Development
Critical Facilities
Development Patterns

ECOSYSTEM EXPOSURE

Natural Areas and Open Space
Potential Pollution Sources
Natural Protection
Wetland Potential

EXAMPLES

Flood Zones vs. Critical Infrastructure

Say you wanted to see where critical infrastructure facilities, such as schools, hospitals, and police and fire stations, are in your neighborhood relative to mapped flood zones. Turn on the FEMA layers. Turn on Critical Infrastructure. Vary the opacity to suit your taste. And voila. You can see where everything is. Location could affect first responder response time in a flood, your ability to get to a hospital, or your ability to get kids at school. Also see it below.

*Flood zones versus critical infrastructure in the Lake Houston Area.*

Flood Zones Vs. Population Density

Want to map population density against flood zones?

Development Density and Time Frame

Curious about when certain areas were developed, and the intensity of that development

Green Infrastructure

Want to see how much green space developers left in your community?

289 Possible Searches

Only two layers at a time can be active. But with 17 different layers, you have 289 possible searches for any given area.

Note: some, but not all layers contain information for Montgomery County, Liberty County and other counties that have no coastal exposure. You just have to experiment.

Helpful Background Information

Puzzled about what some of the terms mean and how they relate to flooding?

Click on the info button for “Employees” and you will see this explanation. “This map shows the range in the number of employees for U.S. Census block groups (or geographies) that work in or near coastal flood-prone areas. Some of the most devastating disaster impacts to a community include the loss of income due to business interruption and the loss of jobs as a result of business closures. It is also important to know where people are located should a hazard event occur during work hours.”

Wondering what “natural protection” has to do with flooding. Click the info button. The following explanation pops up. “Natural areas and open space adjacent to development can buffer and protect against flooding. Wetlands hold floodwaters, reduce wave heights, capture sediments, and reduce erosion. Beaches and dunes absorb wave energy, and other natural areas such as forests and grasslands provide porous surfaces that can absorb, store, and slow water. Protecting these natural areas will ensure that communities continue to receive these benefits; however, with sea level rise, these habitats will need to move landward, so in addition, communities will want to assess and protect surrounding land to help facilitate this process.”

These are very powerful, well-laid out tools within an easy-to-use, intuitive interface. It’s actually fun to explore.

Sea-Level-Rise Visualizer

Speaking of sea level rise, without taking a political stance on global warming, NOAA provides an interesting inundation map/viewer. It lets you vary the amount of sea-level rise by 1 to 10 feet and shows how much coastline will be lost for any given amount of rise. You’ll be pleased to know that Lake Houston is not in danger, even with 10 feet of rise.

The sea-level-rise viewer also contains a high-tide flooding map, a vulnerability map, a marsh migration map and more.

Other Helpful Tools

Check out:

Excellent Tutorials Available

Most of these sites are geared toward professionals, such as flood plain managers, developers, planners, government employees, and real estate people. However, that should not deter residents and home buyers. Each of these related sites offers excellent tutorials.

I would also say that during COVID-school shutdowns, science teachers and parents of teenagers have an excellent learning opportunity with these tools. There’s enough here to keep bored students interested for days. It can be something you explore together as a family.

Tag Archive for: green infrastructure

Amazing NOAA Coastal Flood Exposure Tools Have Inland Applications, Too