Disaster and Failure 

Events Data Repository

Eric Letvin

Director, Disaster and Failure Studies Program 

Engineering Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce
NIST Repository Workplan

• Phase 1 – World Trade Center dataset

• Phase 2 – HUB technology pilot

– Chile data set

– Joplin data set

• Phase 3 – Implementation plan

• Update on post-fire data collection efforts and 

link to repository
Phase 2 – HUB Technology Pilot: 

Chile Data Set

• Develop event-specific, web-based repository

• Data-rich event that will support the National Earthquake 

Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP)

• Opportunity to coordinate with the Network for 

Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES)

• NIST retained a contractor to assist with obtaining data 

previously collected by others (American Society of Civil 

Engineers - ASCE, Earthquake Engineering Research 

Institute - EERI, and Los Angeles Tall Buildings Council 

study teams) 
Phase 2 – Chile Data Set: Schedule 

and Deliverables

1. HUB installed at NIST (September 2012)

2. Chile repository delivered by contractor, 

installed on NIST HUB and ready for internal 

use (October 2012)

3. Chile system design document and 

recommendations report delivered by 

contractor (January 2013)

4. Planned release of Chile data set on NIST’s 

website (Spring 2014)

– Task order awarded in September 2013.
• In development, to be released Spring 2014 on NIST’s 

website running on NIST HUB

• Diverse data set 

– Structural drawings

– Modeled tornado wind field

– Geolocated photos and videos

Phase 2 - Joplin Tornado Dataset
Phase 2 - Joplin Tornado Pilot
Phase 2 - Joplin Tornado Pilot
Phase 2 - Joplin Tornado Pilot
Upcoming Improvements to the 

NIST HUB

• Use Open Street Maps as map data source

• Enhance the mapping features

– Better integration with ESRI shape files

– Searching based on polygon boundaries set by user

• Searchable exploration for all files types

• Work to be completed in early 2014
Phase 3 – Implementation Plan

• System design document

– Create standard taxonomy / ontology by hazard type

– Set minimum criteria for data to be accepted by NIST

– Determine geospatial needs

– Define supported data types

– Establish criteria for inclusion in repository
Phase 3 – Implementation Plan 

(cont.)

• Develop standard data collection systems for different 

kinds of events

• Select operating platform based on user requirements 

• Populate with data from future events

• Develop plan to maintain repository

• Establish process for stakeholder outreach
IT Infrastructure Preparation

• Currently upgrading infrastructure in preparation 

for repository

– FY13: Implementing internal storage as foundation for 

internal side of repository

– FY14: Implementing data collection solution to pull 

data into the repository from collection points

• Must meet FISMA requirements
Short-term (FY14) efforts

View-Only Access for Team

(Data that are reviewed by team but not collected and 

preserved by NIST.)

Team-Only Access

(Data collected by team are available only to the team for 

the purposes of the study.) 

Unrestricted Public Access

(Data will be available for viewing and downloading without 

restriction on a publicly accessible website.)

Disaster and Failure 

Repository

Not Part of 

Repository

Public 

cloud

Private 

cloud

• Process flow improvements from NIST 

internal to external HUB
Short-term (FY14) efforts

• Improve usability and effectiveness for Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) Requests

• Include data from Moore, OK tornado to NIST HUB

• Assure functionality for wildfire data
Hiring Strategy

• Engineering Laboratory to hire 3 staff members 

to support data requirements and special 

projects

• One of the duties of each of these three staff 

members will be to support the Repository. 
Conceptual Post-Fire Data Collection

• Wildland-Urban Interface 

(WUI) 1 i-Phone application 

(Beta tested at Waldo Fire, 

CO)

•WUI 1 and WUI 2 manuals 

in 2014

• WUI 1 Training in CA 2013

• WUI data collection being 

explored with: Colorado/ 

Northern California/ Florida/ 

Georgia/ Virginia/ North 

Carolina

WUI 1 (damage in context of defensive 

actions) 

WUI 2 (damage in context of defensive 

actions and exposure)
WUI Data Collection Needs

1. Identify how many homes and other structures we are 

losing to wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires every year

2. Group structures lost and their locations into their 

respective incidents in a standardized fashion

3. Identify structure, landscaping attributes, exposure, and 

defensive actions taken as part of quantifying hazard 

mitigation effectiveness (WUI 2)

4. Identify and characterize WUI hazards by documenting the 

pre-fire WUI built environment.
WUI Data Collection Concept

• Standardized methods (under development by 

NIST)

• Tools and Training (under development by NIST)

• Data Aggregation and QA/QC 

Legacy data and new data for select incidents

• NIST Repository
Disaster and Failure 

Events Data Repository

Questions/Discussion

Eric Letvin

Director, Disaster and Failure Studies Program

National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce

NCST Advisory 

Committee

December 11, 2013