Module 5 Hazards: Damage Assessment

In this week's Module we continued on advancing our analysis skills with working with the data provided in the previous module working with Hurricane Sandy. This week we really focused on the Damage Assessment caused by Hurricane Sandy. We are still simulating that we are working as a GIS technician for a major university hired by a private company to digitize/assess damage caused by Hurricane Sandy at the site level who were contracted by FEMA. FEMA is interested in wind damage, inundation, and structure damage. Working through this lab will assist us in accomplishing what is being asked. 

There was a lot of learning outcomes through completing this week's lab to name a few being able to create data using the Display XY tool, creating data using the Points to Line Feature Tool, creating a VB script for Labeling, being able to perform a raster mosaic, preparing Post-Storm Damage Assessment Data using Attribute Domains in a Geodatabase, generating report/table based on damage results for given study area and more.

We first started with tracking Hurricane Sandy, then creating and designing an attribute geodatabase for editing purposes. Then using imagery effect tools to explore pre/post Sandy imagery. Then adding parcel data provided to us and using that data plus the imagery and the newly creates damage assessment files to catalog a street on the New Jersey coastline.

When completing the damage assessment, I used the pre/post imagery to assess the damage structures in the study area. Then Using Create Features I created point features for each parcel and added my assessment to the attribute table ranging from Zero Damage, Affected, Minor Damage, Major Damage, and destroyed. Then I made my point symbols more noticeable setting the color symbology to continuous color ranging from green to red, green being zero damage and red being destroyed. Then using the Multiple Ring Buffer Tool setting the Input as Coastline Output as CoastlineBuffer added 3 distances 100, 200, and 300. I set the distance to meters and field name as distance. I set dissolve option. Then I used the Spatial Join Tool, I set the input as the Structure Damage layer the join feature as CoastlineBuffer layer. The match option as Intersect. I set the Join operation as Join one to one. Then I used the Summary Statistics Tool Input was my Spatial Join layer Field = OBJECTID, Statistic Type= Count and Case Fields as Structure Damage and Distance. Which then gave me my totals for the chart. 

Here below I have shared a screen shot of the structural damage points in the study area from the Pre/Post Sandy. I have also included the chart showing the results of the structure analysis.

Pre-Sandy

Post-Sandy

Table Results