Region IX GIS Products

A Job Aid

August, 2006
Questions or revisions? Contact RIX Mary Meade <mary.meade@dhs.gov> or RIX Cindy Moore <Cynthia.L.Moore@dhs.gov>
Introduction
If you have not already done so, take the Independent Study class, IS-292, Disaster Basics. This will give you a
broad overview of how FEMA works in disasters. The class will take about 8 hours to go through and has a final
exam you can submit online for FEMA training credit. This is found on the GIS Server, under
<Administration\EMI_Training\>. Or you can find it online at: <http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is292.asp>.

• We strive for a 24-hour turnaround, unless a higher priority is requested. All map requests from the FCO, SCO,
DFCO, DSCO, or Section Chiefs have highest priority, in that order.

• The two main kinds of folders at the root level of the R-IX GIS server are: Static and Event. Additional folders
often used include National_Data and ArcReader. National_Data includes the ESRI base data as well as the
NGA HSIP Gold, LandScan, NavTech Roads, and nationwide Census data. ArcReader holds all of the .MXDs
and published PMFs for remote desktop distribution.

1. Static folders contain data available to all disasters. They are named by state (e.g., <\Static_CA\> or
<\Static_NV\>). Within them, data is organized into category folders such as Trans (transportation), Utilities,
Critical Infrastructure, etc.

2. Event folders contain only data generated by a single disaster. Each disaster has a new folder named with
the event DR number and the state (e.g., <\Event_1628_CA\>)

Within each Event folder are the following folders:

data – This folder contains event-related data such as tables, MDBs, shapefiles, etc. Sub-folders within
the <\data\> folder (such as DRCs, OPs, and IA) are created as the disaster evolves.

JPGs – All maps created for the disaster that are exported as JPGs are kept in this folder.

PDFs – All PDF versions of maps are stored in this folder.

Working – This folder holds a collection of all of the maps (MXDs) created for the disaster. Sub-folders
are created within the <\Working\> folder as the disaster evolves (e.g., PA or Political).

• Set all MXDs to relative. (File menu, map properties, Data Source Options, Store Relative Path Names). This
enables us to move or copy maps and folders to other servers and still have them work should the server have
a melt-down or we want to archive the maps back to the region.

• Be sure to include a mileage scale and North Arrow on all maps. Check to be sure your map units are set to
miles. (In the View menu, click on Data Frame properties. In the “Units” section of the General tab, click on the
“Display” drop-down menu, and choose “miles.”)

• Generate a PDF for every map printed during the disaster and save it in the <\Event_####_xx\PDFs\> folder.
Sometimes the same maps are requested by different entities throughout the operation for different purposes
and may need to be slightly modified to meet those specific needs. Even these should be saved as PDFs.

• The Planning Section usually has a specific list of maps that must be updated and displayed in the conference
room prior to each strategy meeting; these may need to be changed daily. These maps usually include IAs and
DRCs. There is often a weather map posted in the conference room as well. Planning usually gives a weather

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 brief but may prefer to have GIS staff do this. In a catastrophic disaster, the maps displayed may also include a
wide variety of maps for Operations. (Examples of these follow the Operations section of this manual.) Talk with
your Planning Chief to confirm their preferences for display, frequency, and specific format requirements for
their reports.

• There is a lot of leeway for creating your maps; the basic rules are based on common sense:

• Once the colors of a map have been established, be sure to keep them the same so the viewers have
consistency.

• Name a file with a name that will be easy for others to know what its purpose is.

• If you see a mistake on someone else’s map be sure to tell them so that our maps go out of the room as
accurately as possible. There is a big difference between accurate and perfect.

• In the early stages of a disaster data changes rapidly. Our maps support getting that dynamic information
into the hands of decision makers quickly. While accuracy of information is essential, there is no time to
waste on pretty.

• What seems easy when you are well rested can become difficult when you are tired. If you get stuck on
some aspect of creating a map, don’t waste precious time trying to figure it out—ask for help. And be ready
to help out your team members if asked.

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Base Map
The California base map is located in the <\Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\> folder. Using the base map
speeds up the process for creating other maps.

The base map template also gives a standard look to all products. Remember to always update the map title,
subtitle, file name, author, and date. The base map is set to produce an “E” size map in Acrobat that can easily be
scaled down to your desired size when sent to the plotter. (All maps should be exported to Acrobat and saved in the
<\Event\PDFs\> folder for the Congressional Archives.) Save the map to the <\Event_####_xx\Working\###\> folder
as soon as it is updated.

The file name should be preceded with the folder path and have a date. The date format should always be year,
month, date, e.g., <\Event_####_xx\Working\DRCs\20060306_filename.mxd>

The layers include:

1. USGS Quad Index

2. States: <\Static_CA\ADMIN\STATEBDRY\States_NE_CA_Mask.shp>

3. Roads (ESRI Primary): <\Static_CA\TRANS\FEMA_BASE\ESRI_Primary_Roads.shp>

4. Major Waters: <\Static_CA\HYDRO\GENERAL\CA_major_waters.shp>

5. Oceans: <\Static_CA\HYDRO\GENERAL\Oceans.shp>

6. Counties: <\Static_CA\ADMIN\CNTYBDRY\ARC\CA_Counties_w_2000_Census.shp>

This is a comprehensive county layer with County names in full caps and lower case, as well as the State
and County FIPS codes. Often these three fields are joined with other event data to create a different layer.
(Simply right-click on the Counties layer and choose “Copy,” then right-click on “Layers” and click “Paste
layers”.) Census data is also included in this <CA_Counties_w_2000_Census> layer to facilitate making the
demographics maps.

7. Tribe (Boundaries): <\Static_CA\ADMIN\FEDERAL\ARC\TRIBAL\Tribal_boundaries_031606.shp> and

Tribes (Points): <\Static_CA\ADMIN\FEDERAL\ARC\TRIBAL\Tribes_041906.shp>

Tribes_041906.shp contains XY points for labeling on the map. Tribal_boundaries_031606.shp shows

boundaries for those tribes with large enough areas to show up on the map. They are symbolized with the
same colors.

The spreadsheet of this data is <\Static_CA\ADMIN\FEDERAL\ARC\TRIBAL\Tribes_CA.xls>.

8. CA State: <\Static_CA\ADMIN\STATEBDRY\CA_w-Census.shp>

9. USGS 250 Quads

10. Digital Elevation (DEM)

11. Color Relief: <\Static_CA\GEOLOGIC\CONTOURS\>

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Designated Counties
This is usually the first map of the disaster. This map lays county designations given in the declaration over the
base map. In the early part of a disaster this map may change frequently as the disaster adds on new counties, or
counties add different declarations. For example, IA (Individual Assistance) counties may later also be declared for
PA (Public Assistance) and/or the HMGP (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program). These are done as Amendments to
the Presidential Declaration, which can be found on the FEMA website: http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema.
Other designations (e.g., SBA [Small Business Administration] or state designations) may be requested as well.

Often a black-and-white version of the map will be requested so that it may be photocopied for the IAP (Incident
Action Plan) or faxed to different locations. Be sure to test it on a photocopy machine.

1. Open the <\Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Designated_Counties\Designated_Counties.mxd> file. (Or

use <DesignatedCountyBW.mxd> if you need to make a black-and-white map.)

2. Save it in the <\Event_####_xx\Working\Designated\> folder.

3. If this is the first Designated County map for a disaster, export the “Designated” shapefile from the
<\Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Designated_Counties\> folder to an
<\Event_####_xx\Designated\Data\> folder. (Right-click on the “Designated” layer, go to “Data,” then
“Export Data.”) Add the new shapefile to the map.

4. Edit the new copy of the “Designated” layer file by inserting the correct designations into the appropriate
fields of the table. (Using Editor, click “Start Editing,” then right-click on the layer and “Open Attribute
Table.” Type the correct designations in the “FEMA_Desig” field. The adjacent field, “All_Design,” is for
State and/or SBA designations. Click “Stop Editing.” Save.)

5. Import the symbology from the original “Designation” layer already on the map. (Be sure to turn off or delete
this earlier layer.) It’s best to keep the designation symbology limited to shades of the same color, as this
layer commonly gets put under other layers. It may make it difficult to symbolize other map layers if multiple
colors are used. Stay away from blue as a base layer color because it will make bodies of water difficult to
symbolize.

6. Export a <Designation.lyr> layer to a layer folder in the <\Event_####_xx\Working\Designated\Data\> folder

so it can be used for other maps as needed, such as the Congressional or IA maps. With amendment
changes to the designated county, save another layer and name it with the most current amendment
number.

7. Remember to modify the map title, subtitle, file name, author, and date. Check the legend also.

Three examples of Designated County maps follow.

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Figure 1. Basic FEMA Designation map

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Figure 2. Complex, all-inclusive State and Federal declarations.

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Figure 3. Black-and-white designated counties

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Demographics
These are usually the second series of maps requested in a disaster. They are used by IA to create flyers in
appropriate languages and by the ERO (Equal Rights Officer) to educate the JFO staff on the demographics of the
disaster population. The <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Demographics\> folder holds the current
demographic maps. Simply save the one you want to the current folder and make the appropriate changes to the
layout template. These are requested either by County or by Tract, so there are two product templates for you to
choose from.

Open the map you want from the <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Demographics\> folder and “save as” to the
<\Event_####_xx\Working\Demographics\> folder.

Turn on the layer you want to print; turn off all others. Modify the map title, subtitle, file name, author, date, and
legend information.

You may be asked to show the “Designated Counties” layer on this map also, so you may need to change the
symbology of either as appropriate.

Some examples of these maps follow.

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Figure 4. Disabled population

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Figure 5. Ethnicity

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Figure 6. People older than 65

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Political
Congressional, Assembly & Senate:
Political maps are requested by the Congressional Liaison in the early part of the disaster. The
<Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Political\> folder holds the current Congressional map. Simply save it to the
current folder and make the appropriate changes to the layout template.

1. Open <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Political\Political_Jurisdictions2006.mxd> and “save as” to the

<\Event_####_xx\Working\Political\> folder.

2. Turn on the layer you want and delete the embedded tables that do not match your dataset.

3. Modify as needed—be sure to include the map title, subtitle, file name, author, date, and legend.

4. You may be asked to show the Designated Counties on top of this, so you may need to change the
symbology of either layer as appropriate.

Confirm with the Congressional Liaison that you have the current elected officials for the districts. If not, then the
“Political_Juris_2006.xls” Excel spreadsheet found in the <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Political\data\>
folder should be changed. There are three tabs at the bottom of the worksheet, one each for the Assembly,
Congress, and Senate. Make the needed changes, then copy and paste the table into your map. (Change the
tables in <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Political\Political_Jurisdictions2006.mxd> as well.)

Also be sure to update the shape files if elected officials have changed. You can update the
<Political_Districts.mdb> MS Access file found in the <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\Political\data> folder
and then import it as a geodatabase file. Update the Product_Template file for the next time it needs to be used.

The district boundaries may also change in 2010 with a change in census data.

Tribal:
The Tribal layers (boundaries and points) may be overlaid on the Designated Counties layer, or put on other maps,
including the base map. The polygon boundary data (which is from the Bureau of Indian Affairs) is not complete, but
the points are up to date. Generally, both layers are shown on the map, but only the points have their labels turned
on. Both layers are also symbolized with the same color.

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Figure 7. Congressional Districts

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Figure 8. Congressional districts and designated counties

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Figure 9. Tribal map

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Individual Assistance
FEMA tracks the locations of Individual-Assistance (IA) applicants during the first 60 days of the incident. With
major disasters or extenuating circumstances, the timeline may be expanded. The IA data is considered highly
confidential! Do not give out anything that can identify any one person on a map or any data related to any
one individual.

The IA data is stored at the Data Warehouse in Maryland, and is updated automatically on a nightly basis. To use
the data in maps, a live feed to the Data Warehouse needs to be set up within ArcMap. You only need to set up the
data connection one time. That connection will then be available any time in ArcMap. (Directions to set up the
connection can be found in Appendix section III.

IA points map
1. Start with the <\Product_Templates_IA> base map and then “File, Save as” and save your map to
<WorkingFolder\IA\>.

2. Add your Designated Counties layer.

3. Add the IA data table <GIS.MV_IA_APPLICANTS> from the live Data Warehouse feed.

4. Extract map points from the table by choosing “Tools” and then “Add XY data.” Set your coordinate system.

5. Right-click on the “GIS.MV_IA_APPLICANTS Events” layer and open “Properties.” Choose the “Definition
Query” tab and set “Disaster_Number=yourDR” (where yourDR is the number of the disaster you are
mapping). Since all current disasters are represented in the <GIS.MV_IA_APPLICANTS> table, this will
limit your points to only those associated with your disaster.

6. Choose the symbology. An IA point is usually symbolized as a 6-point red circle with a dot in the middle.

7. Once your map is created, the live feed will automatically update the IA layer on the map every time you
open it. You will re-use the same map and just save out the PDFs by date, so remember to change the file
name, author, and date each time.

County-summary IA maps
The points may be summarized by county (the “PlaceName” field in the IA database) and symbolized by density per
county.

1. Open the Attribute Table for the “GIS.MV_IA_APPLICANTS Events” layer. Right-click on the “Place_Name”
field and choose “summarize.” Specify the output table as <yyyymmdd_county_sum.dbf>, where
yyyymmdd is today’s date.

2. Join the County layer already in the base map to <yyyymmdd_county_sum.dbf>,matching the “Name” field
in the County layer to the “Place_Name” field (which contains the county names) in
<yyyymmdd_county_sum.dbf>.

3. Do a Quantities symbology on the “county_count” field.

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Sometimes clients want to see the summary table displayed on the map.

1. Export the joined table to a DBF file, and import it into Excel.

2. In Excel, make the table pretty. Change the field (column) names so that they are more understandable
(e.g., “Place_Names” would be “County”). Get rid of columns you don’t want to show in the table.

3. Copy and paste the table onto the map.

4. Remember to remove and then redo the join every time you have redo the count to generate a new table to
paste into the map.

5. Excel can’t hold more than 60,000 records. If you have more than that, you’ll have to export the joined table
to a geodatabase. Create an empty file in Access and then export the table to the newly created Access
database, choosing “geodatabase” instead of the normal shapefile format.

Sometimes clients want to see county designations in another column of the table. In addition to the join set-up with
the summary file, you need to join the County layer with the “designations” file found in the
<\Event_####_xx\DATA\DesignatedCnty\> folder. This may be a DBF file, or it may be a table in a geodatabase
(MS Access) file. Be sure you are using the most up-to-date version.

1. Join the County layer to the designations file, matching the “Name” field in the County layer to the
“Name_LC” field in the designations file.

2. Follow the steps above to export the joined tables to a DBF file.

Other IA map variations

In a large disaster, the points may be converted to a density-dot symbology, where one point equals 50 applicants.
As a larger disaster expands, you may be adding the DRC (Disaster Recovery Center) layer to the IA map and
creating 25-mile buffers around the DRCs to make sure the impacted areas have been covered.

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Figure 10. IA map

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Public Assistance
We make PA maps for Public Assistance Project Officers (POs), usually starting after the PA application period has
closed. POs need this information for many reasons (e.g., as part of an environmental review or simply to know
where an applicant's projects are located on a map in order to do a field visit). Because POs like to have access to
their own data, these maps are ideally suited to an ArcReader project, which can be served out over Remote
Desktop. (See the ArcReader discussion in Appendix section III.)

PW Points

Public Assistance maps can have several different layers on them, but they almost always show Project Worksheet
(PW) points. The points are brought in as XY points on a map from the “GIS.MV_PA_Projects” Data Warehouse
file.

Like IA data, PW data is stored at the Data Warehouse in Maryland, and is updated automatically on a nightly
basis. To use the data in maps, a live feed to the Data Warehouse needs to be set up within ArcMap. You only
need to set up the data connection one time. That connection will then be available any time in ArcMap. (Directions
to set up the connection can be found in Appendix II.)

1. Open the <\Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\PA.mxd> file and save your map to the

<WorkingFolder\PA\> folder.

2. Add the PW data table <GIS.MV_PA_PROJECTS> from the live Data Warehouse feed.

3. Extract map points from the table by choosing “Tools” and then “Add XY data.” Set your coordinate system.

4. Right-click on the “GIS.MV_PA_PROJECTS Events” layer and open “Properties.” Choose the “Definition
Query” tab and set “Disaster_Number=yourDR” (where yourDR is the number of the disaster you are
mapping). Since all current disasters are represented in the <GIS.MV_ PA_PROJECTS> table, this will limit
your points to only those associated with your disaster.

5. Once your map is created, the live feed will automatically update the PW layer on the map every time you
open it. You will re-use the same map and just save out the PDFs by date, so remember to change the file
name, author, and date each time.

Add the following layers as requested for the particular map request.

PA Areas
Sometimes PA is divided up by zones or areas that may be groups of Counties, so you’ll have to create a table to
symbolize it based on the Counties layer.

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Environmental Data
POs often need to see the PW points displayed with various environmental data. Layers that might be used for
environmental maps include:
• National Parks
• BLM lands
• National Forests
• Wilderness areas
• Historic Register
• Superfund sites
• National Wild and Scenic Rivers
• Public lands
• Habitat
• Vernal Pools
• Detailed rivers and streams
• Hardwoods

Some environmental data is highly sensitive. It may contain the locations of endangered species, vulnerable
habitats, or other information that is not available to the general public. Maps made with these data-sets are to be
used only by POs or other FEMA-supervised entities.

Flood and water control information

PACs (Public Assistance Coordinators) often need flood-area data shown on their maps. Data layers that pertain to
flooding include:
• FIRMs (Flood Insurance Rate Maps)
• FIRM index
• Detailed rivers and streams
• Dams
• Land and water elevations
• Levees
• Administrative jurisdictions for various entities in charge of water resources
• River-mile markers

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Figure 11. An example of a PA Environmental Review map

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Disaster Recovery Centers
We map DRCs in terms of 1) location, 2) what is open, and 3) what is closed. We also add a copy of some columns
from the spreadsheet table that provides supplemental information including location, date open/closed and DRC
manager contact information. See the example on the next page.

This map requires GIS to coordinate with the DRC team to make sure they maintain their spreadsheet, located on
the common drive, in a format conducive to GIS (no multi-line columns) – and don’t erase our lat/long columns.

1. Add two columns to the DRC spreadsheet for latitude and longitude.

2. Use Google Earth to find the lat/longs of the DRC addresses. Google Earth defaults lat/longs to degrees,
minutes, and seconds, so you need to change the default to decimal degrees. Each time you create a new
DRC map, check on the spreadsheet to see if new addresses have been added by the DRC team, and add the
lat/long information for them.

3. Create a new Access database file, and link the Excel spreadsheet into it as a new table. Save the database
file and quit Access. You will use this file as a personal geodatabase.

4. In ArcMap, open the DRC template, <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\|DRCs\DRCs.mxd> and “save as” to

<\Event_####_xx\Working\DRCs\>. Be sure to update the map title, subtitle, file name, author, and date.

5. Click on “Add data” and add the DRC table from the geodatabase to your map.

6. Convert the table lat/longs to XY (Tools menu, Add XY data) and set the coordinate system.

7. Symbolize the DRC points according to status: “Open” as an 18-point red Circle 3 symbol, and “Closed” as a
yellow 18-point Circle 22 symbol.

8. Display the DRC# on the labels (yellow Arial 12-point text with a 2-point black halo).

9. Then open the spreadsheet in Excel and copy the columns you want displayed, and paste them onto the map.

If you are sharing the table from the common drive, be sure to back it up to the GIS server after every map is made
– just in case.

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Figure 12. An example of a DRC map

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ArcReader
PA will need to do environmental reviews for many Project Worksheets (PWs). If ArcPublisher licenses are
available, an ArcReader project (a “.pmf” file) may be created to facilitate this process. The project would list the
base map layers and include a direct connection to the Data Warehouse for the “PA Projects” feed, which is
updated every night with the latest Project Worksheet additions.

Because of the confidential nature of many of our data-sets we do not permit any kind of access to our primary
server folder. This means that IT and/or GIS have to set up a separate shared drive folder off the root drive of the
server for the ArcReader maps. Then a data folder with a new data structure is created in the <\ArcReader_maps\>
folder and all of the layers for the PA ArcReader maps are put in this new folder. ArcReader can only find data in
folders that users have been given permission to access. Be sure that all of the layers in the maps point to the
<\ArcReader_maps\> shared drive. Maps with a smaller number of data-sets can be fully published to the
<ArcReader_maps\> folder.

In order for PA to see the project, IT must give them permission to access the <\ArcReader_Maps\> folder on the
GIS server. We allow only READ permission to this folder. Users are not given copy, edit, or any other access
unless GIS determines someone does qualify as a “poweruser”. IT will also set-up a Remote Desktop link on the
users computer desktop that links to the folder in <\ArcReader_maps\> that contains the PMF files.

A job aid for users of these products can be found in the Appendix.

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Fire Maps:

The live data is updated with every satellite pass. Download the “48hour for North America” shapefile from
http://maps.geog.umd.edu/activefire.asp

Save the dataset in a new folder with a new file name (or you will overwrite yesterdays).

Add Data to map. Select out fires by day – open file attribute table, turn on Editor, select and delete all records that
don’t have the date/time stamp you want.

Turn off Editor. Save edits. Colorize the date layers as desired.

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Earthquake Maps
Download the shape file for the current event from:
<http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/strongmotion/effects/shake/index.html> . Choose “most recent event”, then
click on “Download”. On the next screen look for the “Data” section, then “GIS files”, “Shape files”. Click on
“shape.zip” to download it to the <Event> folder, and unzip the zipped version.

Open the Operations base map and bring in the mmi shapefile you downloaded. Apply the MMI_Magnitude.lyr
layer found in the <CA_Static\Hazard|Earthquake\> folder to display the legend properly. Publish the map to .pmf
and let Operations know there is an interactive map available.

Weather

A weather map is always posted in the conference room prior to all Strategy meetings. The goal is to see how the
local weather may impact operations in the near term. While working a disaster in the region during hurricane
season it is also useful to keep an eye on coastal areas in the country that may have potential impact on Region IX
resources.

To create weather products simply copy the images you find online into a PowerPoint slide, generate a PDF, and
then print to an “E” size. Save the PDF to an <\Event_####_xx\PDFs\Weather\> folder with the standard date
format, e.g. <Events_1628\PDFs\Weather\20060306_weather.pdf>. See Appendix II for Internet resources.

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Operations
The OPs map is displayed in the conference room in a large disaster, and often becomes the “SitRep” (Situation
Report) map for the IAPs (Incident Action Plans). It needs to be readable at 8.5” x 11” size, as well as when it is
photocopied or faxed. This map helps the Operations field teams locate operational assets; these assets may
include the JFO, AFOs (Area Field Offices), DRCs (Disaster Relief Centers), as well as response-based
jurisdictions, including Branches and Divisions, Helo (helicopter) sites, BoOs (Bases of Operations), and other field
locations. We generally make an “A” size and and “E” size of this map.

OPs map
Planning may have created an Excel table with these assets. Talk with Planning in the early stages of the disaster
to see what they are able to do. Explain your goal is to reduce duplication of efforts, have one person responsible
for the accuracy of that piece of information, as well as speed up the map production process.

1. You may have to create a new Excel file that links to the Planning Excel sheet cells if their format isn’t
conducive to a database import.

2. Unless already provided by Planning, you will have to find the lat/longs by using Google Earth. Add two
columns to your table for latitude and longitude. Google Earth defaults to lat/longs in degrees, minutes, and
seconds, so you need to change the setting in Google Earth Tools to decimal degrees.

3. Create a new, blank, Access database file, and link the Excel spreadsheet into it as a new table. Save the
database file and quit Access. You will use this file as a personal geodatabase.

4. In ArcMap, open <Static_CA\PRODUCT_TEMPLATES\base_map.mxd> and “save as” to

<\Event_####_xx\Working\Operations \>. Remember to update the map title, subtitle, file name, author,
and date.

5. Use the “Add Data” button to bring in the Access OPs table.

6. Go to the “Tools” menu and click on “Add XY data” to extract the lat/long points from the OPs table;
remember to set the coordinate system to NAD 83.

7. Symbolize the OPs assets and export a layer (dated) in the OPs folder, for use with other maps.

8. The DRC layer (created for the DRC map, above) should be added as well.

Other OPs maps used in a catastrophic disaster

Have the Plans Chief connect with the OPs Chief to determine which maps they want to maintain throughout the
operational periods. Reconnect periodically with the Plans Chief to confirm the usefulness of the maps or the need
for other maps. Maps with utilities, fire & police, and other infrastructure should go in an
<\Event_####_xx\Working\Infrastructure\> folder. Shelters, trailers and hotels should go in a
<\Event_####_xx\Working\Housing\> folder.
Figure 1.Operations Resources
 Figure 2. Branches and Divisions with County Designations

Branches and Divisions with County Designations. This map is reproduced in 8.5” x 11” format for almost everyone
in the JFO. It is also displayed in the Conference Room. An “A” size can be put on the common drive for everyone
to access; however, make sure you remember to update that map whenever changes are made.
Response maps that were created by different FEMA entities for Hurricane Katrina follow. You may want to have
the Planning Chief share these with the Ops Chief to see what kinds of products would best support their efforts.

Figure 3. Situation Map

Commodities maps provide information on food, water, ice, fuel, generators, etc. ESF 6 knows where the
commodities are; you may have to lat/long them on Google. Two examples follow.
Figure 4. Commodities Generators
Figure 5. Commodities--USACE distributions
 Figure 6. Shelter Status

We monitor the Shelter Status in terms of occupancy versus capacity. You can ask the VAL (Voluntary Agency
Liaison) help you to set up a spreadsheet on the common drive for ARC to keep up – and then you can link your
map to it. You will have to Google lat/longs if they are not already provided. Be sure to back up this shelter table on
the GIS server regularly. You may have to connect with ARC regularly until they are consistent with their data.
Figure 7. Another Version of Shelters, evolving into tracking trailers and hotels as well.
 Figure 8. Power outages

Power outage information should come from the local power companies.
 Figure 9. Transportation

5. Transportation. DOT and County Transportation Departments should have this information.
 Figure 10. Cell Towers

Look in the local yellow pages to see what companies cover the operational area with cell service.
 Figure 11. Blue Roofs

Blue Roof maps show the number of incoming requests as well as the completed roof coverings. USACE should be
maintaining this information and may even be generating the maps.
 Figure 12. Debris Removal

Debris Removal maps show areas to be cleared as well as percent complete. Contractors should be tasked by the
Ops Chief from day one to provide this information in Excel format, collated county by county, on a daily basis.
 Figure 13. EMAC Missions

The map of EMAC Missions tracks the number of out-of-state teams deployed to the disaster, by state.
Appendix I – Contacts:
William Lundy, Technical Services Lead, Region IX
510.627.7265 Office
(510) 520-1345 Cell
FEMA Region IX
1111 BROADWAY, Suite 1200
OAKLAND, CA 94607

John J. Perry
GIS / Remote Sensing Coordinator
FEMA HQ / Response Division / 202G
Department of Homeland Security
500 C St., SW
Washington, DC 20472
johnj.perry@dhs.gov
1072690@skytel.com
Office: 202.646.2817
Cell: 202.360.6642
stu III: 202.646.3562
Fax: 202-646-2901
Class. fax: 202-646-2516
Pager: 800-759-8888
Pin#: 1072690

The FEMA HQ MAC Operations Manager

Contact Drew Douglas (drew.douglas@dhs.gov)

27
Appendix II – Web Resources
Weather
Weather Radar NWS: http://radar.weather.gov/
Intellicast Surface Weather:
http://www.intellicast.com/IcastPage/LoadPage.aspx?loc=usa&seg=LocalWeather&prodgrp=SurfaceMaps&product
=SurfaceAnalysis&prodnav=none
Satellite GIS data-sets http://radar.weather.gov/GIS.html
NOAA weather shapefiles:
http://www.weather.gov/gis/
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/regsci/gis/shapefiles/ndfd/
http://www.weather.gov/geodata
http://nowcoast.noaa.gov/
For example, using the rain gauge example, select Select by Rectangle and highlight a number of rain gauges on
the map. When you open the databrowser, all the data for the selected rain gauges will be in the browser. This table
can be cut and pasted into an Excel spreadsheet and further manipulated. GIS can even retrieve the data directly
from the website since it can be added to any map as a Server.
NOAA Storm Mapping Tutorial zip file from http://www.csc.noaa.gov/storm_info/tutorial.html
NOAA Web Storm Tracking guide: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/storm_info/guide.html
Pacific Disaster Center shapefiles: http://www.pdc.org/geodata/ (login account at http://www.pdc.org/iweb/)

Typhoons / Hurricanes Watch

https://metoc.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html
http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html
http://www.nlmoc.navy.mil/home1.html (Hurricane shape files)
http://www.hurricanewarning1.com/
Hurricane gis shapefiles: http://www.nlmoc.navy.mil/home1.html
NOAA Hurricane Ctr: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Wave height for tsunami or hurricane surge http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dart.shtml
Atlantic Satellite: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-atl.html
Caribean Satelite, TWS: http://www.weather.com/maps/news/atlstorm24/caribbeansatellite_large.html
Sea Surface Temps: http://weather.unisys.com/archive/sst/
Tropical Weather, Storm Track and “Spaghetti Models” Computer Models at Wunderground:
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
Winds, NOAA ftp://gp16.ssd.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/GIS/Gwinds/
Download tornado,wind and hail reports, csv
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/051105_rpts.html

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River Gages Nationwide
http://ahps2.wrh.noaa.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=sto
Click on any of the colored dots on the opening map to get to the next level of information. On new page pick the
“River at a Glance” folder. The next page has two columns of check boxes. The first lists where the gauges are
located. If you are interested in certain locations and not in others just pick what you want or choose “all” to see the
entire data sets for river system. The second column allows you to decide what information you want to know about.
I suggest you choose the following as a baseline: Stage/forecast text, Local impacts, and Record crest history. Next
click on “Make my river page” to pull up your custom report. You can copy the information into Access or Excel to
make it GIS friendly.
The USGS tables for real-time river gage information in CA http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/rt
Go to www.csc.noaa.gov/storm_info or http://www.csc.noaa.gov/storm_info/tutorial_fin.html
and download the Storm Mapping Tutorial. Follow the instructions in Chapter 2 or 3 for accessing, downloading,
and installing the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) Grib2Decoder. Look for version 1.80.
In the NDFD DataDownload and ImgGen program, expand the CONUS folder. Select one of the Prob. Trop.
Cyclone Wind fields. Click "Download by ftp" or "Download by http" to download the data to your local machine. In
most cases, the file(s) of greatest use will be the Cum. Prob. Trop. Cyclone Wind > 34kts or Cum. Prob. Trop.
Cyclone Wind > 64kts, which include the cumulative probability (out to 120 hours) of an area experiencing tropical
storm force or hurricane force winds, respectively.
Once file(s) have been downloaded, click the GIS tab. Expand the ndfd folder. Expand the conus folder. Double-
click the file(s) you just downloaded. Select the time period of interest from the options listed. Change the path
and/or file name if desired. Choose large polygon. Click the Generate .shp file button.
Open ArcMap and add the file. Symbolize according to the ProbWindSpdN field. Choose Quantities, classify (up to
10 classes) and color (up to 10 colors) according to TPC/NHC conventions if desired. Use current products posted
on www.nhc.noaa.gov for example. It might be a good idea to create a layer file based on NHC conventions for
ease of display later. Files are updated with each forecast cycle, every 6 hours.
NOAA historical storm events: http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwEvent~Storms

Hawaii
Floods
http://water.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/waterwatch?map_type=flood&state=hi&web_type=map
http://hi.water.usgs.gov/
http://hi.water.usgs.gov/recent/index.html
http://hi.water.usgs.gov/recent/index.html
Hawaii coastal bathymetry: http://shoals.sam.usace.army.mil/hawaii/pages/Hawaii_Data.htm
Google Weather:

Weather_Map_
atarina.kmz (524

29
Earthquakes
Earthquake alerts with LandScan population density. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/pager/alert/
Earthquake Shake Maps shapefiles:
California: http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/strongmotion/effects/shake/index.html
Worldwide:
http://gldss7.cr.usgs.gov/neis/epic/epic_global.html
(save comma delimited to notepad, erase all but field names and data, change field to lat and long, then import to
excel and save as a.dbf file; then import x,y data)
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/foote/maps/assign/hotspots/hotspots.html
http://shakemovie.caltech.edu/
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/shakemap/
www.cisn.org shakemaps
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/resources/software/shakecast/ /shakecast
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/shakemap/sc/shake/14236768/
http://www.scign.org/user/register So Cal gis data
IRIS WorldWide Animated Earthquake Monitoring: http://www.iris.edu/seismon/
SCIGN. log in to http://www.scign.org/user
Your new SCIGN membership also enables to you to login to other Drupal powered websites (e.g.
http://www.drupal.org/) without registering.)

FIRE
Live Fire MODIS GIS shapefiles: http://maps.geog.umd.edu/activefire.asp
CA CDF FRAP: http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/infocenter.html
National Fire News: http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html
GEO Mac wildfire maps: http://www.geomac.gov/#
Natl Information Coordination Center: http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/
Western Great Basin InterAgency Coordination Center: http://gacc.nifc.gov/wgbc/information/newsandnotes.htm
CDF Fire: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/276/ http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=94
http://www.fireinformation.com/
Cleveland National Forest Fire http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland
• California Fire Alliance—<http://wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/fire_planning/> Fire mapping viewer and planning tools.
• InciWeb—<http://www.inciweb.org/state/5/> An interagency wildland fire incident information management
system.

30
• OES California, 2006 Fire Season—
<http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/ALL/62B435F1D8148A30882571A900748158?OpenDocum
ent> Situation Reports on current fires in California, news, maps, and resources.
• Geodata.gov—Fire Mapping Community— <http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos/kcxml/04> Categories
include: Responder Resources, GIS Data, Public Interest, Map Gallery, and more.
• GEOMAC Wildland Fire Support— <http://geomac.usgs.gov> A multi-agency effort that allows fire managers to
access online maps of current fire locations.
• MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program— <http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/> Click on Current Fire Information for
"large incident" maps.
• MODIS Rapid Response System <http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/> Global access to MODIS data, with initial
emphasis on 250m color composite imagery and active fire data.
• Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center (OSCC)— <http://gacc.nifc.gov/oscc/index.htm>
Incident information, predictive services, logistics/dispatch, and related links.
• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Major Incidents—
<http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents> CDF resources and containment status.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fire Detect—
<http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm> Detects hotspots that could become or already are fires.
• National Fire Weather— <http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/> Fire weather outlooks and warnings from the National
Weather Service.
• BLM Airspace Information System— <http://airspace.nifc.gov/mapping/nifc/index.cfm> For aviators and fire
personnel, this site shows temporary flight restrictions due to the fires.

Poliltical Links:
California:
http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/senplan/senate.htp
http://swdb.berkeley.edu/data/data.html
MISC
FEMA Mapping and Analysis Center (MAC)
http://www.gismaps.fema.gov/2005pages/katrina.shtm
Remote Sensing Data
http://www.gismaps.fema.gov/2005pages/rsdrkatrina.shtm

CITRIX
Webinar on demand
View Now - www.citrix.com/disasterrecovery/webinar

LandScan population density

LandScan http://www.ornl.gov/sci/gist/projects/LandScan/ (use disclaimer below)
TM
© 2004 UT-Battelle, LLC. All rights reserved. Notice: This product was made utilizing the LandScan 2004 High Resolution Global Population Dataset copyrighted by UT-

31
Battelle, LLC, operator of Oak Ridge National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the United States Department of Energy. The Government has
certain rights in this Dataset. Neither UT-Battelle, LLC nor the United States Department of Energy, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or
assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any data, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use
would not infringe privately owned rights.
TM
If the product is a single image: Source: ORNL LandScan 2004 /UT-Battelle, LLC
Address for Correspondence with UT-Battelle, LLC:
Business Manager, Technology Transfer and Economic Development
UT-Battelle, LLC
One Bethel Valley Road
Bldg: 4500N, MS-6196
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6196
Email Address: griffithcw@ornl.gov
Phone Number: (865) 574-4495
Facsimile No.: (865) 241-6261

CA base map data-sets http://casil-mirror1.ceres.ca.gov/casil/gis.ca.gov/drg/

ETIS (Evacuation Traffic Information System) www.fhwaetis.com
GIS Spatial News http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/submitnews.html

32
Appendix III – Setting up a live Data Warehouse feed in ArcMap

You only need to do this once per disaster, as ArcMap keeps this info “live.” You need to obtain a password from
the Data-warehouse in Maryland. This access is only available behind the FEMA firewall.

1. Using Notepad, open <c:\oracle9client\network\admin\tnsnames.ora>. Make sure the eommr and

eommr.world scripts are included in this file. (Go to “Edit,” then “Find.”) If the scripts are not there, copy
them from the <\administration\admin_doc\ tnsnames.ora> file on the GIS drive. Make sure your login script
doesn’t overwrite it—you may need to ask IT to add the eommr and eommr.world scripts into their
<tnsnames.ora> login script.

2. Open the base map in ArcMap. Click on the “Add data” icon. In the dialog box, under the “Look in” menu,
choose “Database Connections” listed at the root level.

3. Click on “Add OLE DB Connection,” and click the “Add” button.

4. In the list of connection types, choose “Oracle Provider for OLE DB” (at the bottom of the list), then click
“Next.”

5. For the connection, fill in these values:

data source name:
username:
password:

6. Click “Test connection.” If it is successful, click “OK.” If not, give Data-Warehouse a call.

7. After a small delay, the Data Warehouse list will pop up. Scroll to <GIS_MV_yourfile>, highlight it, and click
“Add.” (yourfile is “IA_Applicants,” “PA_Projects,” or whatever data you’re linking to. The MV stands for
“material view.”)

8. From now on, whenever you need to add data from the Data Warehouse to a map, click on “Add data,”
choose “Database Connections,” and choose “OLE DB Connection.odc.”

33
US CENSUS
American Community Survey
(ACS) data released by the US Census with regard to languages. There are many geographic limitations, and the
language data may be more generalized than we would like, but it may be of use to us anyway.

From the ACS “2004 Geography Notes“:

“The 2004 American Community Survey data includes single-year estimates for areas of 250,000 or more
household population, and Change Profiles for all states, and areas with a household population of 1
million or more. The list of areas to publish was based on the Census Bureau’s July 1, 2004 Population
Estimates.”

The languages are reported in five categories:

• English only
• Spanish
• other Indo-European languages
• Asian and Pacific Island languages
• other languages
Only those people 5 years of age and older who speak the language at home are counted.

Geographically, the data is reported only in some areas. In California, these areas are covered:
• 24 of the 58 counties
• 43 of 53 congressional districts
• 13 “Place County Parts”
• 14 “Places” (which seem to be cities)
• 11 Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
• 11 Metropolitan Statistical Areas or Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

On our server, I’ve arranged the files thusly:

R:\Static_CA\DEMOGRPH\American_Community_Survey
2004_geography_notes.doc – describes geographic divisions used
ACS2004_README.doc – describes what data is contained in which tables
geography_key.xls – codes for various geographical divisions
Subject_Definitions.pdf – describes the variables reported in ACS data (language data is
described on page 60)
\2004_single_year_profile – Data summarized for a single year in pretty Excel files
California.xls – statewide
\050County
\155Place_County_Part
\160Place
\380CMSAMSA – Metropolitan Statistical Areas or Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical
Areas
\385PMSA – Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
\500Congressional_Districts
\Core_Tables – each directory contains an Access and a comma-delimited version of detailed
data
\ACS_2004_050 – counties
\ACS_2004_155 – place county parts”
\ACS_2004_160 – places
\ACS_2004_380 – Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
\ACS_2004_385 – Metropolitan Statistical Areas or Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical
Areas
\ACS_2004_500 – congressional districts
\ACS_2004_META – metadata describing the data contained in the core tables

This structure mostly reflects the file structure at the ACS FTP site.

34