**Project Plan**

**Disaster Management Application:**

**Support to HAZUS-MH DSS**

**[1.0 Purpose and Scope]{.underline}**

The support to the Multi-hazard Loss Estimation Methodology (HAZUS-MH)
decision support system (DSS) that is proposed here is part of a larger
set of activity that comprises the Disaster Management Applications
Program. HAZUS-MH is a standardized, national methodology for estimating
loss from natural disasters. It is the primary tool used by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for mitigation and has been in
development for approximately 10 years. FEMA coordinates the development
of HAZUS through a contract with the National Institute of Building
Sciences (NIBS). The current version of the HAZUS tool consists of loss
estimation methodology for 3 natural hazards; earthquake, flood, and
wind. The wind tool is currently being modified to include models that
incorporate the effects of tide, surge, near-shore wave effects, and
dune erosion under contract to NASA (Cooperative Agreement NNS04AA5A).
One of the goals of NASA's Applications Program is to development
cooperative relationships with federal partners so that the results of
NASA science and technology can be incorporated into an operational DSS.
One of the primary partners in the Disaster Management Program is FEMA.
Since FEMA plans to continue the development of HAZUS-MH, it is a
logical DSS for the focus of the partnership. NASA's role in HAZUS-MH is
to benefit the HAZUS-MH tool through the infusion of NASA Earth science
research results.

This plan encompasses fiscal year 2004, and directly supports the
following Integrated Budget and Performance Document (IBPD) performance
measure:

> 4ESA1: Benchmark measurable enhancements to at least 2 national
> decision support systems using NASA results.

**[2.0 Project Goal and Objectives]{.underline}**

The goals of this project are as follows:

1.  To define the opportunity for remote sensing data to improve the
    estimation of aerodynamic surface roughness values and evaluate the
    performance of data in test environments within the HAZUS-MH wind
    model.

2.  Evaluate the utility of NASA and other remote sensing data for
    improving digital elevation models and digital bathymetry models
    along the United States coast.

3.  To participate with FEMA, NIBS, and other organizations and agencies
    to define other opportunities for HAZUS-MH to benefit from NASA's
    Earth System Science Research

Specific objectives of the this project are

1.  Process remote sensing data into products for estimating the size
    and density of surface obstacles and ground cover for initially two
    locations, each ideally encompassing multiple land use/land cover
    categories. LIDAR data is a candidate for this objective.

2.  Investigate techniques to process remote sensing data for ground
    cover information and for developing information on the size and
    density of buildings and other surface obstacles.

3.  Investigate the utility of remote sensing data to characterize
    topographic variation for coastal areas to a distance of 10 meters
    above and below mean sea level. Perform coastal flood model
    sensitivity analyses to study the benefits of high resolution/high
    accuracy DEM/DBM data versus baseline USGS topography data and
    NOS/HSD bathymetric data.

4.  Inventory prototypical remote sensing derived topographic and
    bathymetric datasets for model sensitivity analyses.

5.  Compare HAZUS-MH results using aerodynamic surface roughness
    estimates derived from the State of Florida land use/land cover
    classification and related aerodynamic surface roughness estimates
    derived from the MRLC classification.

6.  Inventory NASA and other remote sensing datasets from which the size
    and density of buildings and other surface obstacles can be
    estimated. Process the selected remote sensing data to map and
    estimate surface roughness parameters, such as the size and density
    of buildings and other surface obstacles within each study region.

7.  Coordinate with FEMA and NIBS on further participation of NASA to
    support HAZUS-MH with NASA's 18 satellite observatories including
    participation in meetings and future proposal development.

**[3.0 Project Team]{.underline}**

[Project Management]{.underline}

Disaster Management Program Manager:

Stephen Ambrose, NASA Headquarters Code YO

Disaster Management Project Manager:

Dr. Bruce Davis, NASA Stennis Space Center

[NASA Centers]{.underline}

John C. Stennis Space Center POC: Dr. Bruce A. Davis

[Partner organizations]{.underline}\
Lockheed Martin-Stennis Operations (LMSO) technical support contractor

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)

Applied Research Associates (ARA)

**[4.0 Roles and Responsibilities]{.underline}**

[Stennis Space Center:]{.underline} Stennis Space Center (SSC)
represents NASA as a Co-PI and part of the technical team primarily
related to the use of remote sensing data. Stennis also serves to
monitor and review technical progress made by NIBS under contract to
NASA. Furthermore, SSC represents NASA on the Oversight Committee that
is a subcommittee of the Wind Committee within NIBS. The oversight
committee will monitor the technical aspect of the project for overall
compliance with HAZUS-MH goals. The SSC civil servant staff relies
heavily on the Stennis Technical Support Contractor, Lockheed
Martin-Stennis Operation (LMSO). The SSC civil servant team manages and
directs the LMSO team in performing systems engineering tasks and
meeting project deliverables.

[Federal Emergency Management Agency:]{.underline} (FEMA) maintains the
contract with NIBS that provides overall integration of HAZUS-MH
components. FEMA maintains management authority on the technical
direction of HAZUS-MH and authorizes all release of the approved
software.

[National Institute of Building Sciences:]{.underline} (NIBS) is under
contract to provide overall integration of models and software
components to address FEMA requirements. For this project NIBS is the
Principal Investigator responsible for overall technical success. NIBS
will manage the subcontract to Applied Research Associates.

[Applied Research Associates:]{.underline} (ARA) is under contract to
NIBS to develop and test the coastal risk assessment module.

**[5.0 Implementation Approach]{.underline}**

The fundamental objective of this project is to produce an advanced
state-of-the-art capability to estimate coastal wind and flood risk in a
risk consistent manner, as required for implementation in a multi-hazard
decision support tool such as HAZUS-MH. To achieve this objective, NASA
will support two areas of research in this project. These areas center
on the integration and use of NASA developed technology, capabilities,
and data. The two research areas are:

> 1\. Use and analysis of NASA remote sensing data for improving digital
> elevation models

2\. Investigation of a new concept for the direct estimation of
aerodynamic roughness using NASA data and verification/validation
capabilities.

These areas of research are briefly described in the following
paragraphs.

***Digital Elevation Models***. The current digital elevation models
(DEM) generally used in HAZUS-MH and other risk assessment tools consist
of USGS 30 m grid data. This relatively coarse grid has well documented
limitations in terms of horizontal resolution and vertical accuracy.
Nevertheless, it is widely available for all locations in the United
States and therefore readily serves as the default DEM for regional loss
studies.

Ground elevation data is critical to accurate estimation of flood losses
and for mitigation of flood losses. The ability to process remote
sensing data with much higher resolution data in a coastal flooding
model is critical for developing improved coastal flooding studies and
risk assessments. In addition, higher resolution data will provide for
detailed modeling of barrier islands and dune erosion as well as coastal
flooding in bays and waterways behind barrier islands.

Remote sensing data has been collected for much of the coastal United
States. SSC will inventory these data and utilize them through this
research to demonstrate sensitivity in models and ability to provide
derived products that offer enhanced model results. These data sources
include but are not limited to SRTM, ASTER, Landsat, and QuickSCAT.

***Aerodynamic Surface Roughness***. Surface roughness, *z*~0,~ is one
of the critical parameters for estimating wind loss damage in the
Hurricane Module of the HAZUS-MH Decision Support System. *z*~0~ can be
rigorously estimated through a variety of anemometer wind measurements.
Some methods are based on upon measuring the wind profile as function of
height and fitting the wind velocity profile to a logarithmic law to
estimate the boundary layer. Other methods use a prop vane anemometer to
measure the wind speed and a sonic anemometer to measure friction
velocity at two different heights with theoretical models to derive
*z*~0~. All these methods are extremely expensive and impractical for
large areas or regional loss studies. To overcome these issues, the
current state of the art is to estimate *z*~0~ using expert judgment
coupled with land cover/land use classifications developed from remote
sensing data.

A new concept is proposed herein for the remote sensing derived
estimation of *z*~0~. By processing building height, silhouette area,
and lot area, we may be able to compute *z*~0~ from remote sensing data.
Height profiles and land cover characteristics can both be calculated
using a variety remote sensing data and processing techniques including
data acquired from active and passive sensor systems. Several ESE data
sources will be investigated including SRTM, Quickscat, and SAR/InSAR.
This application of the NASA remote sensing data has the potential to
create a much-improved means for predicting wind loads on buildings and
performing risk assessments and regional loss and mitigation
assessments.

**[6.0 FY04 Deliverables]{.underline}**

-   Evaluation of aerodynamic surface roughness estimation derived from
    remote sensing land cover products. (Report)

-   Evaluation of the effect of land cover classification scheme on Z~0~
    estimation. (Report)

-   Evaluation of remote sensing derived DEM data. (Report)

-   Evaluation of NASA ESE and other remote sensing data to construct
    viable land cover classifications for input into the HAZUS-MH Wind
    model. (Report)

**[7.0 Schedule & Milestones]{.underline}**

-   Inventory of remote sensing data for proposed study areas (Jan. --
    May 2004)

-   Configuration of flux tower (November 2003 -- March 2004)

-   Comparison of land cover classification schemes (April -- June 2004)

-   DEM comparison (May -- August 2004)

-   Participate in HAZUS meeting (Jan -- September 2004)

**[8.0 Budget]{.underline}**

The HAZUS-MH project element FY04 budget and spend plan are shown in
Table 1 and Figure 1, respectively.

Table 1: HAZUS-MH FY04 Budget (NASA portion of the project)

  ----------------------------- ---------------------- --------------- ----------
                                                       **FY04 Budget** 

  **ACTIVITY**                  **PERFORMING           **Procurement   **NASA SSC
                                ORGANIZATION**         (\$K)**         Civil
                                                                       Servant
                                                                       FTE**

  Evaluation of aerodynamic     NASA SSC technical     **30**          **0.05**
  surface roughness estimation  contractor                             
  derived from remote sensing                                          
  land cover products                                                  

  Evaluation of the effect of   NASA SSC technical     **35**          **0.05**
  land cover classification     contractor                             
  scheme on Z~0~ estimation                                            

  Evaluation of remote sensing  NASA SSC technical     **45**          **0.1**
  derived DEM data.             contractor                             

  Evaluation of NASA ESE and    NASA SSC technical     **40**          **0.05**
  other remote sensing data to  contractor                             
  construct viable land cover                                          
  classifications for input                                            
  into the HAZUS-MH Wind model                                         
  ----------------------------- ---------------------- --------------- ----------

**[9.0 Performance Measures]{.underline}**

JACIE project performance will be assessed using several methods.

1.  Technical team meetings or teleconferences, of at least one per
    month but likely more frequently, between the NASA project team and
    technical contractor project staff to assess project task status.

2.  Weekly activity reports provided by contractor staff to NASA.

3.  Weekly activity reports provided by NASA Stennis Space Center to
    NASA Headquarters Code YO.

4.  Participation in weekly NASA Code YO staff teleconferences

5.  Project reviews via telecon conducted every 2 weeks.

6.  Project team meetings 3 times per year.

**[10. Management Signatures]{.underline}**

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\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

Stephen Ambrose Date

Disaster Management Program Manager

NASA Earth Science Enterprise Applications Program

+------------------------------------------------+----+---------------+
| Bruce A. Davis, Ph.D.                          |    | Date          |
|                                                |    |               |
| Disaster Management Deputy Project Manager     |    |               |
|                                                |    |               |
| NASA Earth Science Applications Directorate    |    |               |
|                                                |    |               |
| NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi |    |               |
+------------------------------------------------+----+---------------+