HAZUS Technical Awareness Group (TAG) Meeting Minutes
Date: April 9, 2008
TAG Meeting: One (1) of Two (2) Scheduled Project TAG Meetings
TAG Members: Charles Kibert, Ph.D., P.E. (Principal Investigator)
Karen Deeter, Assistant Public Works Director, Alachua County Division of Waste Management
David Donnelly, Assistant Director, Alachua County Emergency Management
Other Attendees:
"Name" / OrganizationTana Jelinek / Marion County BCC - Public Works Bureau
Dennis Slifer / Marion County BCC - Solid Waste Dept
Kerri Genden / Beck Disaster Recovery, Inc
Ron Bishop / Alachua County Public Works
David Wood / Alachua County Public Works
Ron Mills / Gilchrist County Emergency Management
Guest of Mills / Gilchrist County Emergency Management
Sean Loughlin / Lake County Emergency Management
Johnny Taylor / Lake County Department of Environmental Services
Alan Altman / Clay County Environmental Services
Erica Lancaster / Clay County Environmental Services
Chris O'Gara / Florida Dept. of Transportation, District Two, Lake City, Florida
John McCarthy / Florida Dept. of Transportation, District Two, Lake City, Florida
Curtis Barnes / Florida Dept. of Transportation, District Two, Lake City, Florida
Ed Lontz / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Ward Boteler / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Jeanne Chandler / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Ray Harper / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Dan Lindsey / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Derrel Murkerson / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
JD Pulley / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Robert Schoneman / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Terry Suggs / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Sam Sullivan / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Mary Ulseth / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Mike McCain / Marion County BCC - Transportation Dept - Asset Management
Scott Mansfield / Marion County BCC - Transportation Dept - Asset Management
Rhonda Rogers-Bardsley / Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
John Schert / Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Phil Worley / Florida Division of Emergency Management
Larissa Pallo / Florida Division of Emergency Management
Laura Hite / Florida Division of Emergency Management
Kelly Underwood / Grubbs Emergency Services, LLC
Fred Edwards / Collier Co. Emergency Management
Richard Zyvoloski / Collier Co. Emergency Management
Peter Grasel / Fl. Dept. Of Environmental Protection solid waste section
Bill Lycan / Columbia County Emergency Management Columbia County Solid Waste
Samuel Parker / Pinellas County
Jennifer Peacock / DRC Emergency Services
Tom Waters / Seminole County Solid Waste Managment Division ECAP3
Kim Russel / Seminole County Solid Waste Managment Division ECAP3
Jane Marshall / Seminole County Solid Waste Managment Division ECAP3
Mike Bruk / Seminole County Solid Waste Managment Division ECAP3
Dwayne Mundy / NCFRPC
Kevin Grosskopf / University of Florida - Rinker BCN
Richard Fobair / Powell Center for Construction and Environment
Patrick Irby / Alachua County Division of Waste Management
Karthikeyan Ramaswamy / University of Florida - Rinker BCN
Location: TREEO Center, Auditorium Room
3900 SW 63rd Blvd.
Gainesville, Florida
Minutes By: Richard Fobair II
Purpose: This event is intended to provide a multi-disciplinary forum for Florida’s county solid waste and emergency management to discuss debris management and planning issues as relates to first response and recovery following a major hurricane or natural disaster.
Highlights: Comprehensive Demonstration of HAZUS-MH
Applying for FEMA Disaster Assistance
Solid Waste and Hazardous Mitigation Planning
Mutual Aid Agreements
Public Awareness Programs
Key Presenters: Kevin R. Grosskopf, Ph.D. (Co-Principal)
Eric Kramer, Ph.D.
Phil W. Worley
Minutes: Attendees began to arrive around 9:10 AM. They were greeted at the door
and asked to sign-in at the front desk. Handbooks, consisting of all power point slides to be shown, were provided after sign-in for attendees to preview. Refreshments for attendees were provided in the dining room.
Dr. Charles Kibert began the workshop by providing introductions of key persons and opening remarks. Key persons instrumental in preparing and organizing the workshop include: John Schert, Director of the Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste; Karen Deeter, Assistant Public Works Director for Alachua County Waste Management; and, David Donnelly, Director of Alachua County Emergency Management.
Dr. Kevin R. Grosskopf provided an introduction of debris caused by hurricanes Charlie, Frances and Ivan. These three hurricanes created the equivalent of three years volume of C&D and vegetative debris in six weeks. Approximately 350 staging areas were established to collect the debris. It was collected either separated (clean waste) or mixed (commingled waste).
Eric Kramer provided an overview of HAZUS-MH program. Disaster preparedness and emergency management providers use HAZUS-MH as a decision support tool. By design, it is a natural hazards loss estimation tool used in GIS. HAZUS-MH uses a geographically sensitive, risk based approach. Damages, losses and mitigation benefits are calculated using validated scientific methodology. It provides a visual display and identification of hazards and vulnerable areas.
HAZUS-MH has over 200 data default layers, including general inventory, building profiles and occupancy, essential facilities, and demographics. Essential facilities include schools and fire stations. It has hazard specific inventory, including terrain, elevation and storm tracks. Knowing and understanding terrain is important to determine hurricane characteristics. HAZUS-MH supports user supplied data, such as updated building inventory or property values from the property appraiser’s records.
HAZUS-MH is based on “hazard-load-resistance-damage-loss” methodology. This ties the economic loss directly to the damage. The old methodology tied loss to storm intensity.
HAZUS-MH has limitations. It cannot model storm surges, wave damage, tree damage to buildings and wind damage to transportation or utility networks. Low intensity storms are difficult to model. Contributions by events preceding the storm are not considered in estimating damage. Contributions consist of soil saturation or sequential storm strikes. Soil saturation, for example, caused old oaks to tip over instead of break. HAZUS-MH timeline is based on the storm event.
An example hurricane scenario was provided to generate HAZUS-MH output. During presentation of building damage outputs, question was asked about describing displaced households. For the model, displaced households are characterized by people that had to leave their home.
Predicting road closures due to flood water is possible with the flood model output. It also assists in determining staging areas based on accessible roads.
Predicting loss of power lines due to tree damage is possible utilizing the tree down model.
Validating HAZUS-MH results is difficult. Collecting accurate data is problematic. Multiple storms caused overlapping debris clean-up operations. Cross-county staging areas and regional transfer stations contributed to mixing debris from multiple counties. FEMA is continuing to process information and determine eligible areas from the 2004 hurricane season, therefore preventing a final summary total.
Eligible tree debris includes debris people carry to the curbside, if the debris was caused by the storm. Typical household waste is not eligible debris.
Pool cage aluminum is grouped in the “other” section of category “brick, wood and other”.
Dr. Grosskopf presented trend analysis results and future activities, such as additional research, to improve understanding of debris generated by storms. Results of trend analysis indicate that little building damage occurs until peak wind speeds exceed approximately 90 mph. Beyond this point, the increase in damage and building debris generation increases exponentially with respect to increases in peak wind speed. Significant damage to buildings from fallen trees and significant vegetative debris generation is likely at sub-hurricane wind speed.
Percentage of C&D waste increases in urban areas. Vegetative waste is greater in non-urban areas. The model clearly shows waste composition depends on storm intensity and geographic location.
HAZUS-MH hurricane and flood models should be run separately to avoid overlapping results.
In the examples provided, the difference between HAZUS-MH estimate and actual data is about 30%. This difference is due to flood damage. See slide 82.
Attendees shared that a primary lesson learned after the 2004 hurricane season was debris comes first before emergency response teams. EMT and Fire Rescue could not drive to those in need because roads were inaccessible. Emergency response teams should be given chain saws and winches to remove fallen trees and debris that prevent access to people requiring assistance.
Catered lunch was provided for all attendees in the dining room.
After lunch, Phil Worley presented Debris Management. FEMA program is complex but worth the effort. Before applying for reimbursement, make sure the threshold for assistance has been met. In order to receive reimbursement, the applicant, facility, work, and cost must be eligible. See slide 1-3. Determining if work is eligible includes confirming the contractor properly disposed of debris. When establishing a rate to pay contractors to collect the debris, base it on rates just prior to the hurricane.
Plan before a hurricane starts to form over the water. Take photos of everything, before and after. Take photos of all debris piles that are estimated. Keep copies of notes used to determine the estimated quantity of debris. Keep a daily log book of the discussing the types, location, and quantity of debris estimated. Use proper contracts, and make sure the work is competitively bid. Obtain environmental and historic building permits in advance.
Recycling revenue is subtracted from the requested cost for reimbursement. Costs associated with evaluating sites is reimbursable in the year the site is evaluated.
On the topic of mulch, some counties outsource its disposal, others use it for landscaping.
Most but not all counties have a debris management plan.
Counties should always say yes to being asked to participate in a public assistance program. If a county said no the first time asked, there would not be an opportunity to change the answer.
Before starting emergency cleanup, first get a Notice to Proceed.
Alachua County does not burn vegetative material after a storm because of public complaints.
It is recommended everyone download the EPA 1995 Planning for Disaster book from the Internet.
Discussion was made on various topics, including “ANSWER” (Aid Network for Solid Waste Emergency Response), Florida updating emergency evacuation studies, customer drop-off sites, and volunteers may carry debris to curbside for elderly neighbors.
The workshop ended around 2:00 PM.