Presentation

Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
Transportation GIS
CP 6542
Anne Italiano, Amy Perez, Chelsea Leitz, Kim Alistia-Foote

Predicting flooding
impacts of Atlanta and
building alternate
transportation networks
Goal:
Build a model to allow user input of projected
rainfall, analyzing elevation of streets to determine
whether to close streets
Dean Trevelino, 45, stands in flood water from Peachtree Creek. Trevelino
says waters rose to this level when Hurricane Ivan hit five years ago.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/overflowing-peachtree-creek-floodshomes-cars/nQTbB

Agenda
Importance of the Project
Original Goals
Accomplishments
Methodology
Products
Evaluation

Project Goals:
Build a model to allow user input of projected rainfall, analyzing elevation of streets
to determine whether to close streets.
Step 1: Create a static map of Atlanta (Proctor Creek Watershed) DEM and road
network. Test different inputs of rainfall data and outcomes of analysis.
Step 2: Create a model using the same tools used to design the static analytical
map. Need to determine user inputs.
Step 3 (Bonus): Automate iterations of network road closures based on real-time
data continuously downloaded from the National Weather Service
Additional steps: Publish on the web; create an app → for a hypothetical future
application ($65/project-hour/analyst + cost of software and computing resources)

Data Collection
FEMA Floodplain Shapefile
DEM - USGS
Streams Shapefile - Center for GIS
Soils - USDA SSURGO
Streets - Fulton Co. Open Geoportal
County Boundary - Census
Watershed Lines- USGS NHD
Hospital Facilities -ARC
Parcel data - ARC and Fulton Co Open Geoportal

DEM Processing
Flood Analysis
Input DEM Raster
Recondition
Fill
Reclassify DEM

Raster Calculations

Network Building
Fulton County streets shapefile
new geodatabase → new
feature set → new network
dataset.
Network Wizard Parameters:
No modelling of turns
Connectivity at any vertex
No to elevation fields
Attributes:
Length
Speed
Preference

Fulton
Streets
Network

View of Proctor
Creek by Parcel
(left), and by
Transit Zone
(right), and the
Atlanta city
hospitals serving
demand with
Proctor Creek
and its tributaries
as barriers
Location Allocation: Fema Flood
Zones

Location Allocation: Fema Flood
Zones, Continued
View of Fulton
County by Zone,
and the hospitals
serving demand
with Proctor
Creek and its
tributaries as
barriers

Location Allocation: Soil Flood
Zones
View of Proctor
Creek by
Parcel, and the
hospitals
serving demand
in the event of
widespread
inundation

Closest Facility- FEMA Flood Zones
Routes between
Hospitals &
Parcel Points
within Proctor
Creek are
formed avoiding
FEMA Flood
zones

Routes between Hospitals & Parcel Points within Proctor Creek are
formed avoiding areas prone to flooding based on soil analysis
Closest
Facility
Routes between Fulton Parcel Zones and Hospitals are also
formed avoiding areas prone to flooding based on soil analysis

Workflow
of
Model

Roadblocks
HEC-GeoHMS
HAZUS
National Weather Service Dataset - Real time
updates
Tutor
Automation
Model Builder

Evaluation of Goals:
Build a model to allow user input of projected rainfall, analyzing elevation of streets
to determine whether to close streets.
Step 1: Create a static map of Atlanta (Proctor Creek Watershed) DEM and road
network. Test different inputs of rainfall data and outcomes of analysis.
Step 2: Create a model using the same tools used to design the static analytical
map. Need to determine user inputs.
Step 3 (Bonus): Automate iterations of network road closures based on real-time
data continuously downloaded from the National Weather Service
Additional steps: Publish on the web; create an app → for a hypothetical future
application ($65/project-hour/analyst + cost of software and computing resources)

References
ESRI. (2016, March 31). ArcGIS Spatial Analyst Advanced Raster Spatial Analysis. Retrieved from ESRI:
http://www.esri.com/library/brochures/pdfs/spatialanalystbro.pdf
Forster, N. (n.d.). Mitigating Flood Risk Using Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.). Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Retrieved
March 2016, from icma.org/Documents/Document/Document/20927
Department of Homeland Security. (2016, April 27). Flood Zones. Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://www.fema.gov/flood-zones
Mioc, D., Nickerson, B., MacGillivray, E., Morton, A., Anton, F., Fraser, D., . . . Liang, G. (2008). Early Warning and Mapping for Flood
Disasters. The International Archives of Photogammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 37, 1507-1512.
Pincott-Miller, D., McGarry, D., Fairweather, H., & Srivastava, S. (2012). Review and framework development for addressing flash flood
potential using GIS assisted spatial-hydrologic modelling. The Queensland Surveying and Spatial Conference . Brsibane, Australia:
Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute.
The National Weather Service. (2016, March 247). The NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services (AHPS) and Partner Services.
Retrieved from The National Weather Service: www.weather.gov/gsp/flood_preparedness
Suarez, P., Anderson, W., Mahal, V., & Lashmanan, T. (2005, May 10). Impacts of flooding and climate change on urban
transportation: A systemwide performance assessment of the Boston Metro Area. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920905000155

Questions?
Thanks!