JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 1 

Flood Risk Products 

USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS 

Hazard mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by reducing the impact of disasters. Disasters can 

cause injury and death, damage buildings and infrastructure, and have devastating consequences for a community’s 

economic, social, and environmental well-being. Hazard mitigation plans are key to breaking the cycle of disaster 

damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage, and they allow communities to remain eligible to receive certain types 

of state, tribal, and federal assistance. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides policy, guidance, products, tools, training, and technical 

assistance to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to help them develop and update mitigation plans. More information 

on available resources can be found on FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Planning website, www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigationplanning. In addition, FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk MAP) program has developed Flood Risk 

Products (FRPs), which are tools created to assist in mitigating food risk. Under the Risk MAP program, FEMA partners 

with local, state, and tribal governments to identify food hazards, assess food risks, develop plans and mitigation 

strategies, and implement mitigation actions using a wide range of public and private resources. Data produced 

from Risk MAP projects can be incorporated into a mitigation plan and help inform mitigation strategies and 

prioritize mitigation activities. 

WHAT ARE FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS? 

FRPs are data communication tools intended to be used with National Flood 

Insurance Program (NFIP) regulatory products, such as Flood Insurance Rate 

Maps (FIRMs). Communities can use FRPs to transform traditional food mapping 

efforts into an integrated process of identifying, assessing, communicating, and 

mitigating food-related risks. The non-regulatory FRPs, which expand upon basic 

food hazard information, can be used in mitigation planning to identify areas where 

risk reduction actions may produce the greatest return on investment. FRPs include 

a main database of food risk information called the Flood Risk Database. This 

geodatabase contains a variety of datasets generated during a Risk MAP project 

that can be used to analyze food risk in a geographic information system (GIS) 

format. The standard datasets include: 

• Changes Since Last FIRM • Percent 30-Year Chance Grid

• Water Surface Elevation Grid • Flood Risk Assessment

• Flood Depth Grids • Areas of Mitigation Interest

Optional Flood Risk Products that can support mitigation planning decisions: 

Enhanced Flood Risk Datasets: These products that enhance food risk analysis 

may include datasets such as velocity grids, Water Surface Elevation change 

grids, and multi-frequency grids for levees. In coastal communities, enhanced 

datasets may include increased fooding scenarios that refect potential sea-level 

rise, dune size and location, and simplifed coastal zones. 

Flood Risk Report: A narrative of a community’s food risk study, provided to help 

the community understand the study methods and results. 

Flood Risk Map: A color-coded map that illustrates the range of the community’s 

food risk. This map also identifes essential facilities that are exposed to risk, 

past claims, areas with signifcant land-use change, stream fow constrictions, 

and other areas in which to focus food mitigation efforts. 

BENEFITS OF 

FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS 

• Enhance emergency,

community, and mitigation

planning by prioritizing areas

for risk reduction actions.

• Support improved risk

communication and

outreach to the public.

• Visualize food risk and help

explain differences in risks

within and outside the Special

Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS 

CAN BE USED IN HAZARD 

MITIGATION PLANNING 

TO HELP IDENTIFY AREAS 

WHERE RISK REDUCTION 

ACTIONS MAY PRODUCE 

THE GREATEST RETURN 

ON INVESTMENT. 

Increasing Resilience Together
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 2 

Flood Insurance 

Rate Map 

Flood Risk Map 

Flood Risk Report Flood Insurance 

Study Report 

 

ARE RISK MAP FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS AVAILABLE 

FOR ALL COMMUNITIES? 

Under the Risk MAP program, FEMA produces FRPs during regulatory food map 

updates, in accordance with current standards and the project scope. FEMA 

undertakes a limited number of food studies each year, and they may take 

several years to complete. FRPs become available to communities once 

a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) is completed; however, they may not be available 

in all communities. Visit FEMA Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov), 

select “Search All Products,” and flter selection by state, then county and/or 

community to check for FRP availability. 

NEED HELP FINDING FRPs? 

Contact the FEMA Map 

Information eXchange 

(877) FEMA MAP 

(877-336-2627) 

Email: FEMAMapSpecialist@ 

riskmapcds.com 

Hours of Operation: Monday 

through Friday, 8:00 am to 

6:30 pm Eastern Time (ET) 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULATORY FLOOD HAZARD PRODUCTS AND 

NON-REGULATORY FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS? 

FEMA regulatory NFIP products, including FIRMs for the 1- and 0.2-percent-annual-chance food events, Flood Insurance Study 

(FIS) reports, and FIRM databases, are sources of information for mitigation planning. Unlike these traditional NFIP regulatory 

food mapping products, however, FRPs are not intended to be used as the basis for offcial actions required under the NFIP, 

such as determining insurance rates or mandatory insurance purchase requirements for a property, or enforcing minimum 

building standards for construction in a foodplain. Instead, FRPs can be used alongside regulatory products to obtain 

additional food risk information and to support a community’s offcial actions and hazard mitigation strategies. 

FIRM VS. FLOOD RISK MAP 

• A FIRM is an offcial map that identifes SFHAs and other food zones within a 

community. A FIRM has undergone formal due process and is published as the 

legal document for food insurance and foodplain management purposes. 

• A Flood Risk Map is an optional tool designed to support a discussion of risk 

by providing a graphical overview of hazards and risks within the project area. 

The objective of the Flood Risk Map is to summarize and highlight areas of 

notable food risk and mitigation interest, to raise awareness and promote 

collaboration among communities within the project area. 

FIS REPORT VS. FLOOD RISK REPORT 

• An FIS report is a compilation and presentation of detailed food hazard data 

for specifc watercourses, lakes, and coastal food hazard areas within a 

community. When a food study is completed for the NFIP, the information 

and maps are assembled into an FIS report. 

• A Flood Risk Report is an optional tool that provides a narrative of the food 

risk for several different food scenarios, an explanation of assessment 

methodology, as well as risk assessment information that can be incorporated 

into Hazard Mitigation Plans and inform land use plans. The report is written 

in non-technical terms to better communicate food risk concepts, analysis 

results, and potential actions to various stakeholders. 

DIGITAL FIRM (DFIRM) DATABASE VS. FLOOD RISK DATABASE 

• A DFIRM database contains the data layers for the FIRM and most of the quantitative data in the FIS report, in a GIS format. 

• A Flood Risk Database parallels a DFIRM database, but it stores a wider variety of GIS-based food risk information, including 

all the food risk datasets (Changes Since Last Firm, Depth and Analysis Grids, Risk Assessment, and Areas of Mitigation 

Interest) and much of the information from the Flood Risk Report and Flood Risk Map. The datasets contained in the Flood 

Risk Database provide a wealth of data to use to analyze, communicate, and visualize food risk on an ad hoc basis to support 

mitigation efforts and raise awareness. 
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 3 

USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING 

During the hazard mitigation planning process, FRPs present information that can be used in the risk and vulnerability 

assessment and during the development of mitigation strategies. Hazard mitigation planning teams can use the food 

risk datasets described below to improve the ways in which food risk is quantifed and communicated to meet 

the mitigation planning requirements found in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

(www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/15271), as amended by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, and 

in Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 201: Mitigation Planning. 

FRPs allow mitigation planning teams to plan for higher frequency events as well as to visualize, analyze, and communicate 

food risk for areas adjacent to the SFHA. They also provide additional information on the variability of food risk within the 

SFHA (depth, water surface elevations, likelihood of getting fooded, and potential losses) that helps prioritize the mitigation 

actions with the greatest potential impact. 

Changes Since Last FIRM 

Water Surface Elevation Grid 

Flood Depth Grid 

The Changes Since Last FIRM dataset provides information regarding changes 

(not depth changes) made to the regulatory foodplain and foodway boundaries 

during a food mapping update or revision. The Changes Since Last FIRM dataset 

may include attributes for each area of change that provide some insight on why 

the boundaries have changed. The information contained in the Changes Since 

Last FIRM dataset is particularly helpful for communicating about FIRM updates, 

as it highlights where the food hazards have changed. Mitigation actions can 

also be prioritized to address areas with an increased food risk. 

The Water Surface Elevation Grid provides a way to fnd food elevations for the 

entire foodplain. This grid is an effective tool for evaluating risk when combined 

with a building layer in GIS, especially if the frst-foor elevations for buildings within 

the layer are known. The Water Surface Elevation Grid would also be helpful for 

populating/checking elevation certifcates; developing mitigation strategies for 

structure elevation, buyouts, and relocation; or determining where ordinances 

and building codes requiring higher standards may apply. 

Flood Depth Grids illustrate the food depth, in feet above the ground surface, 

to demonstrate the variability of food depths in food prone areas. Depending 

on the study, the Flood Risk Database may include depth grids for multiple food 

scenarios: 10-percent (10-year), 4-percent (25-year), 2-percent (50-year), 1-percent 

(100-year), and 0.2-percent (500-year) annual chance. This information is useful 

for visualizing food extents outside of the regulatory purview and for examining the 

vulnerability of structures in terms of severity and frequency for a mitigation plan. 

For non-technical decision makers, the depth of fooding can also be an easier 

concept to understand than base food elevation, which is referenced to a vertical 

datum, such as the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). 
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 4 

A Percent Annual Chance Grid provides a better understanding of the likelihood 

that a given location will food in any single year. It also helps explain the 

probability of fooding for hazard mitigation planning. The Percent 30-Year 

Chance Grid calculates the likelihood of fooding over the period of an average 

mortgage (30 years). It is the same analysis as the Percent Annual Chance Grid, 

but uses a 30-year period instead of a 1-year period, which can help homeowners 

understand their risk through the duration of a mortgage. 

Percent 30-Year Chance Grid 

Flood Risk Assessment 

Areas of Mitigation Interest 

The Flood Risk Assessment dataset is generated from Hazus, FEMA’s model 

loss estimation software, and presents loss estimates in dollar values. Risk is 

most often expressed as an Average Annualized Loss estimate. If a community 

has building stock or parcel-level data to contribute to the Hazus analysis, the 

result can be calculated at the level of the individual structure or parcel. In a 

Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Average Annualized Loss can be used to improve the 

risk assessment, identify mitigation strategies, and prioritize mitigation actions. 

For example, the dollar value it presents can be used to examine the costs from 

disasters and provide return-on-investment estimates to determine if a mitigation 

action would “pay for itself” through the avoided losses. It can also be used 

to prioritize multiple mitigation actions to identify the best use of limited grant 

funding. The Flood Risk Assessment dataset is provided to the community at no 

cost and can be used to address that portion of the mitigation plan requirements, 

rather than having to hire an outside contractor to perform a risk assessment. 

The Areas of Mitigation Interest dataset can be used to investigate the need 

for food risk mitigation strategies by identifying conditions within a project 

area that may contribute to the severity of the food hazard and associated 

losses. These conditions include areas with a history of food claims, structures 

that contribute to backwater (e.g., undersized culverts, bridges, and dams), and 

areas experiencing land use change or development. Although the community 

may already know much of this information, visualizing it spatially can assist local 

offcials with identifying mitigation strategies and prioritizing mitigation actions. 
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 5 

USING RISK MAP FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS TO MEET MITIGATION PLANNING REQUIREMENTS 

Members of mitigation planning committees can use FRPs to better prioritize areas in need of mitigation assistance. 

This improved and actionable information makes a plan more usable for the communities while also helping meet certain 

FEMA requirements. Mitigation plan risk assessments must be based on the best available data—the FRPs are, in most 

instances, the best food hazard data. FRPs are used in mapping software and are especially powerful when combined 

with local data. The table below describes how the information provided in FRPs and food risk datasets can provide 

communities with tools and information that can assist in meeting some of the required elements of local mitigation plans. 

Contact your FEMA Region for more information, instructions, and training on the step-by-step processes to incorporate the 

FRP data into your hazard mitigation plan. 

FLOOD RISK PRODUCT HOW TO USE IT IN YOUR LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 

Use the Changes Since 

Last FIRM dataset to... 

Generate maps to support describing the location of flood hazard areas (Element B1, 

44 CFR §201.6(c)(2)(i)). This is especially important for plan updates, which should address 

how the geography of flood hazards has changed since the previously approved plan. 

Understand how changes in development and the geography of fooding have affected 

the overall risk (Element D1, 44 CFR § 201.6(d)(3)). Plan updates must describe changes 

in land use and development that have occurred in hazard-prone areas. By using GIS to 

overlay the Changes Since Last FIRM data on local building or parcel data, the planning 

team can isolate land uses and/or buildings that are newly at risk to fooding. 

Use the Water Surface 

Elevation Grid and Flood 

Depth Grid datasets to... 

Describe the extent of food hazard events (Element B1, 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(i)). Extent is 

the strength or magnitude of the hazard. The Flood Depth Grids show the depth of fooding 

at any given location in the Risk MAP study area; users can click on an individual cell and 

learn the approximate depth of fooding at that location. Unlike the base food elevation, 

the Flood Depth Grid is expressed in feet of fooding, which can be easier to understand. 

Generate maps to support describing the location of food hazard areas (Element B1, 44 

CFR §201.6(c)(2)(i)). The Depth Grids show the geographic area expected to food in both 

larger and smaller food events studied under Risk MAP, so unlike the FIRM, which shows 

the 1-percent-annual-chance food, the Depth Grids can show the area expected to food 

during a variety of return periods. 

Analyze and describe the impacts and vulnerabilities of food hazards when used with FEMA’s 

Hazus loss estimation software (Element B3, 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(ii)). The Flood Depth 

Grids are a ready-to-use input for Hazus, which estimates losses for essential facilities and 

for a community’s building stock. Using Depth Grids cuts down on the amount of computing 

power and processing time needed to model food losses. 

Use the Percent Annual 

Chance Grid and 30-Year 

Chance Grid datasets to... 

Support the discussion of the probability of future food hazard events (Element B2, 44 CFR 

§ 201.6(c)(2)(i)). The Percent Annual Chance Grids can help the planning team illustrate and 

think through what more intense fooding scenarios might look like in the planning area. 

Combined with local data, the Grids can help illustrate what community assets might be 

more vulnerable in the future, as well. 
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 6 

FLOOD RISK PRODUCT HOW TO USE IT IN YOUR LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 

Quantify vulnerability and impacts for multiple flood scenarios (Element B3, 44 CFR § 

201.6(c)(2)(ii)). The Flood Risk Assessment data presents losses in dollar values and can 

highlight which communities are most vulnerable to flooding. 

Help develop mitigation actions for each jurisdiction and prioritize what areas need 

mitigation action most (Element C5, 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(3)(iii) and 44 CFR § 201.6(c) 

(3)(iv)). The Flood Risk Assessment data can show where losses will be highest and 

mitigation may have the most beneft—which is an essential component of prioritizing 

mitigation actions. 

Use the Flood Risk 

Assessment dataset to... 

Use the Areas of 

Mitigation Interest 

dataset to... 

Map and identify the type and location of food hazard(s) in the planning area (Element B1, 

44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(i)). Areas of Mitigation Interest can help the planning team understand 

various kinds of fooding issues possible in the planning area. Because Areas of Mitigation 

Interest is a spatial dataset, it can support mapping the location of food issues. 

Map and describe previous occurrences of food hazards (Element B2, 44 CFR § 201.6(c) 

(2)(i)). Areas of Mitigation Interest includes the location of past repetitive food claims, 

which can support the discussion of where and when fooding has occurred in the past. 

Describe impacts and vulnerabilities, especially for essential community facilities (Element 

B3, 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(ii)). Areas of Mitigation Interest includes a list of at-risk community 

facilities, and the past claims hotspots included in the data can also highlight areas that 

have been affected in the past. 

Support the discussion of NFIP-insured structures repetitively damaged by fooding (Element 

B4, 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(ii)). The past claims hotspots portion of Areas of Mitigation Interest 

shows areas where fve or more repetitive loss or severe repetitive loss properties are close 

together. Areas of Mitigation Interest does not meet the full requirement to describe the type 

and number of repetitive loss properties, but it can illustrate concentrations of insured losses. 

Describe areas of land use and development changes (Element D1, 44 CFR § 201.6(d) 

(3)) for plan updates. Mitigation plans must describe changes in development in hazardprone areas, and Areas of Mitigation Interest includes data on areas that have undergone 

signifcant land use change. This can support users in both looking back at where recent 

development has happened and addressing areas that may become more vulnerable in 

the future because of new development or population growth. 

The Flood Risk Products and Datasets can contribute to your hazard mitigation plan by helping to meet the criteria described 

in the Local Mitigation Plan Review Guide. (www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/23194) The Flood Risk Products 

and Datasets do not meet the regulatory planning requirements on their own. Instead, they supplement and strengthen the 

planning team’s analysis and documentation. 
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 7 

FLOOD RISK PRODUCT HOW TO USE IT IN YOUR LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 

Use the (optional) 

Flood Risk Map to... 

Illustrate the location or geographic area of flood hazards (Element B1, 44 CFR § 201.6(c) 

(2)(i)). The Flood Risk Map shows new SFHAs and, if applicable, areas influenced by coastal 

storm surge. This helps community members visualize flood hazard areas and is especially 

useful when GIS capabilities are limited. 

Illustrate the vulnerability of jurisdictions (Element B3, 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(ii)). The Flood 

Risk Map shows the relative food risk of the communities in the study, from very low to 

very high. The Flood Risk Map alone will not meet the requirement, but it adds context 

and is a visual companion to the plan’s description of food impacts and the summary of 

community vulnerability. 

Visualize locations of potential mitigation actions that will reduce risk (Element C4, 44 CFR 

§ 201.6(c) (3)(ii)). The Flood Risk Map illustrates areas where mitigation action might be 

needed to reduce risk, like areas of signifcant land use change, at-risk essential facilities, 

problem levees, stream fow constrictions, etc. The planning team may wish to focus 

mitigation efforts on the areas described. 

Use the (optional) 

Flood Risk Report to... 

Describe the location or geographic area of food hazards (Element B1, 44 CFR § 201.6(c) 

(2)(i)). The Flood Risk Report breaks down food risk at the community level and can 

indicate which communities have greater or smaller risks of fooding. It also often lists 

fooding sources for each community. 

List and describe previous occurrences of food events (Element B2, 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(i)). 

The Flood Risk Report often includes information on signifcant past food events, along with 

past disaster declarations, which can be used to meet this element. 

Develop the overall summary description of each jurisdiction’s vulnerability to fooding 

(Element B3,44 CFR § 201.6(c)(2)(ii)). Section 3 of the Flood Risk Report is especially 

helpful, since it presents the results of the food risk analysis at the study and community 

levels. The report identifes dollar amounts of losses by type of structure and food 

frequency. This helps communities understand what is at risk for not only a 1-percent-annualchance food, but also other more and less severe events. 

Evaluate a comprehensive range of specifc mitigation actions to reduce risk (Element C4, 

44 CFR § 201.6(c)(3)(ii)). Section 3 of the Flood Risk Report typically summarizes areas of 

mitigation interest or potential in each community—areas of signifcant land use change, 

at-risk essential facilities, etc. The planning team may wish to focus mitigation efforts on 

the areas described. In addition, Section 4 of the Flood Risk Report describes possible 

types of mitigation activities and potential funding sources. 
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 8 

RISK MAP FLOOD RISK PRODUCT USE CASE: 

DEKALB COUNTY, GEORGIA 

DeKalb County, Georgia’s third-most populous county, is composed of 

nine incorporated cities, a portion of the City of Atlanta, and several 

unincorporated communities. Historical data supports the prediction that 

damage-inducing food events will occur within the county at least once every 

two years. Signifcant food-related damage has been experienced along the 

South and North Forks of Peachtree Creek, Nancy Creek, their tributaries, 

and other streams. In addition to building and infrastructure damage due to 

overland fooding, numerous undersized culverts, low water crossings, and 

low-capacity bridges throughout the county cause fooding problems. 

DeKalb County’s Mitigation Advisory Committee collaborated to update 

the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2016 and incorporated food risk 

datasets that were provided as part of a FEMA Risk MAP project. The 

information provided in the FRPs and datasets was used to assess the 

vulnerability of infrastructure, critical facilities, and parcels at a greater 

level of detail than in the past. For instance, analyses of foodprone 

roadways and repetitive loss properties were conducted to identify 

vulnerable infrastructure and facilitate specifc mitigation actions that 

addressed improving stormwater infrastructure and acquiring or elevating 

repetitive loss properties to avoid future losses. 

IDENTIFYING FLOODPRONE ROADWAYS 

To identify foodprone roadways, river lines were intersected with all 

structures (including bridges, culverts, and dams). The water surface 

elevations were extracted from the Water Surface Elevation dataset and 

compared to the top of the roads, with the most frequent and impactful 

food event noted. The DeKalb County 2016 Hazard Mitigation Advisory 

Committee developed a map that identifed the foodprone roads by color, 

based on the frequency of occurrence. Roads designated with a red plus 

sign (+) have a 50-percent annual chance of occurrence (2-year event), 

and roads shown with the dark green plus sign are inundated by the 

0.2-percent-annual-chance (500-year) event. Roadways that were identifed 

as being vulnerable to fooding can be evaluated for potential retroftting 

projects that are able to produce the necessary cost-beneft results 

required for grant funding eligibility. 

IDENTIFYING REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTIES 

Repetitive loss properties were identifed in the 

enhanced Areas of Mitigation Interest dataset 

that was provided to DeKalb County during 

the Risk MAP project. The repetitive loss 

property analysis identifed that 33 percent 

of the claims for these properties were 

outside of the SFHA. This indicates that 

there is no such thing as no risk for fooding. 

INSIDE 

SFHA 

OUTSIDE 

SFHA 

67% 

33% 
JULY 2018 USING FLOOD RISK PRODUCTS IN HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS | 9 

RISK MAP FLOOD RISK PRODUCT USE CASE: 

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 

Allegheny County is a large, mostly urban county in 

southwestern Pennsylvania, with an area of 745 square 

miles. The county has 130 municipalities—more than any 

other county in the Commonwealth. It also has four major 

rivers—the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, which 

meet at the center of the county in the City of Pittsburgh, 

and the Youghiogheny River. Historic decisions to locate 

industrial and other large facilities next to rivers have 

resulted in many important facilities being in the foodplain 

and increased Allegheny County’s vulnerability to fooding. 

The Allegheny County Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) was 

due for an update in 2015, shortly after the county’s 

Risk MAP project was completed. As part of the update 

process, the plan was prepared to meet both FEMA’s and 

the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s (PEMA) 

requirements, so the county would 

be eligible for funding and technical 

assistance from state and federal 

hazard mitigation grants. The frst 

meeting of the Allegheny County HMP 

Steering Committee to discuss the 

update reviewed PEMA’s priorities for 

HMP updates. One of PEMA’s major 

priorities was to refne and enhance 

the Hazus analysis for fooding to 

obtain more realistic food loss 

estimates for essential facilities 

and the building stock countywide. 

Performing Enhanced Hazus Flood Analysis 

As opposed to a basic analysis, enhanced analysis 

incorporates datasets that are more up-to-date and/or have 

a higher spatial resolution than the default data included 

in the Hazus software. The enhanced data incorporated into 

the 2015 Allegheny County HMP update included an updated 

essential facilities data layer and the 1-percent-annualchance Flood Depth Grid generated during Allegheny County’s 

Risk MAP project. With the help of Hazus-Multi Hazard 

version 2.2, current scientifc and engineering knowledge 

was coupled with the latest GIS technology to produce 

estimates of food hazard-related damage before a disaster 

occurs. Use of the Flood Depth Grid also reduced the overall 

time and effort needed to develop Hazus loss estimates, 

ultimately allowing the Steering Committee to spend their 

time on extra outreach and developing mitigation strategies 

with each of the communities. 

WANT MORE INFORMATION ON FLOOD RISK DATASETS? 

Check out our FRP Training by contacting your Regional Risk Analysis Branch or the FEMA Map Information 

eXchange (FMIX) toll free at 877-FEMA MAP or by email at FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com. 

WANT MORE INFORMATION ON MITIGATION PLANNING? 

Visit FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Planning website, www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-planning, or contact your State 

Hazard Mitigation Offcer or FEMA Regional Risk Analysis Branch. Visit FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Contacts 

page for more information, www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-planning-contacts.