Damage Assessment: The Local Government Role

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Damage Assessment The Local Government Role
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Damage Assessment The Local Government
Role October 8, 2008 Alamosa, CO
Windsor, CO May 2008
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Damage Assessment Workshop

• Module 1 Damage Assessment Overview
• Module 2 Initial Damage Assessment Public
  Infrastructure
• Module 3 Initial Damage Assessment Homes and
  Businesses

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Damage Assessment Overview
Module 1
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Colorados Hazards
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Presidential Declarations in Colorado

• 1970s lt5
• 1980s 2
• 1990s 2
• Since 2000 7

• Global Warming?
• Record Events
• Drought (1997-2003)
• Wildfires (2002)
• Floods (1997)
• Snowfall (2003/2006)
• Tornado (2007)

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2002 Drought
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2002 Wildfires Fremont County
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2002 Wildfires
Hayman Fire
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2002 Wildfires Coal Seam Fire
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2002 Wildfires
Missionary Ridge Fire
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(No Transcript)
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Blizzard of 2003
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Blizzard of 2003
Fort Collins, CO
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Blizzard of 2003
Fort Collins, CO
170 Structures Damaged
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CDOT Operations Southeast Colorado December 2006
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Blizzards of 2006 Bristol, Colorado
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2006 Blizzards
Colorados Front Range
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Severe Weather Hazards Tornadoes
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Holly, Colorado
March 2007
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Holly Tornado March 28, 2007
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Windsor/Weld County Tornado May 22, 2008
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Floods
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Geologic Hazards
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Terrorism

• Hoax
• Small-Scale Violence
• Incendiary
• Explosive
• Chemical
• Biological
• Cyber
• Radiological/Nuclear

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DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

• A coordinated process of determining the scope
  of local disaster impacts, including emergency
  needs, types of damages, and the extent of
  impacts to public infrastructure, residences and
  businesses.

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Damage Assessment is the responsibility of the
entity having jurisdiction over the disaster area.
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Disaster Operations
Recon-struction
Level of Activity
Recovery
Response
Time
Disaster Occurs
Disaster operations chart.ppt
Page 1
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DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

• THREE STAGES
• Size-Up/Rapid Assessment
• Initial Damage Assessment
• Preliminary Damage Assessment

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Incident Evaluation Timeline
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Predictive Modeling

• National Weather Service
• Tornadoes
• High winds
• Rain/Snow
• Historical Flooding
• United States Geological Survey
• Earthquake
• Debris flows

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Initial Size-up by Command

• Number of persons killed and injured
• Threats to
• Life
• Property
• Natural Resources
• Weather
• Access
• Size/Magnitude
• Predicted incident behavior
• Hazards to assigned personnel

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Rapid Assessment

• Identify public safety impacts
• Critical Infrastructure and Services
• Hospitals
• Utilities/Service Interruptions
• Access
• Roads/Bridges
• Airports
• Detours/Isolated Areas
• For the purpose of addressing immediate public
  safety needs

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Initial Damage Assessment

• Identify scope/extent of damage
• Infrastructure
• Homes
• Businesses
• Number of persons homeless in shelters
• For the purpose of
• Beginning short-term recovery
• Funding

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Preliminary Damage Assessment

• Formalized local-state-federal inspection and
  review process
• More detailed structured
• Determines if impacts are severe enough to
  warrant federal disaster assistance
• Based on Initial Damage Assessment data

PDA requested by State on behalf of local
jurisdiction
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Focus of this Workshop

• Initial
• Damage Assessment

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Purpose of the Initial Damage Assessment

• Provide timely and comprehensive information on
  the scope and impacts of a disaster in order to
• Support effective decision making regarding
  response/recovery priorities
• Identify the need for a local declaration
• Provide situation report information
• Identify and document potential hazard mitigation
  needs and opportunities

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Other reasons to complete anInitial Damage
Assessment

• Provide timely and comprehensive information on
  the scope and impacts of a disaster in order to
• Advise the Governor of the need for state or
  federal response resources
• Document and support requests for state/federal
  financial assistance
• Guide joint local-state-federal teams to damage
  sites

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Other reasons to complete anInitial Damage
Assessment

• Provide timely and comprehensive information on
  the scope and impacts of a disaster in order to
• Keep public advised on response/recovery efforts
• Keep congressional offices informed
• Keep news media up to date on disaster statistics

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Other reasons to complete anInitial Damage
Assessment

• Measure the economic impacts of the disaster
• Provide data for updating the local hazard
  analysis
• Provide opportunity to educate the community on
  known hazards
• Provides exercise opportunity on small, low
  impact events

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Declaration Process

• Why declare a disaster?
• TABOR reserves
• Activate local plans mutual aid
• Temporary social controls/restrictions
• Pre-condition for certain types of state
  federal assistance

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Declaration Process

• Steps in the process
• Initial damage assessment
• Local declaration request for assistance
• Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA)
• Governors request
• FEMA regional review/recommendation
• Presidents decision

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Situation Reports

• At least every 24 Hours
• Overview of what, where, how severe
• Impacts to people, property, infrastructure
• Adequacy of local resources
• Outside assistance needed/anticipated

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Damage Assessment Team Concept
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Two Types of Damage Assessment Teams

• Residential-Business Team
• Public Infrastructure Team
• Consult County Extension Agents for Assessment of
  Agricultural Damages

Both teams need advance training, guidelines and
forms
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Residential-Business Team

• ASSESSES DAMAGES TO
• Individuals
• Families
• Businesses
• Conforms to FEMA Individual Assistance Program

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Public Infrastructure Team

• ASSESSES DAMAGES TO
• Infrastructure (Roads, Bridges, Water Control
  Facilities, Buildings, Equipment)
• Public Utilities
• Parks Recreation Facilities
• Conforms to FEMA Public Assistance Program

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Damage Assessment Teams

• Damage Assessment Team Composition
• Team Leader
• Damage Assessment Specialists
• Data Coordinator
• Driver

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Damage Assessment Coordinator

• Appointed in advance, or assigned based on nature
  of damages
• Building Official, Public Works Director, County
  Assessor, City Manager
• Assigns teams to damage grids
• Manages information and reports
• Briefs/debriefs teams
• Not Emergency Manager (if possible)

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Possible Damage Assessment Team Members

• City/County Engineers
• Building Officials/Inspectors
• Public Works Personnel
• Utility Representatives
• County Assessors
• Property Appraisers
• Agricultural Extension Agents
• American Red Cross

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Team Deployment Kit

• ID Cards (emergency access credentials)
• Safety Gear (Boots, Gloves Hard Hats, etc.)
• Maps
• Forms/Calculators/Basic Supplies (Go Kit)
• Cell Phones-Radios-Contact Information
• Cameras/Film
• Global Positioning System

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Damage Levels

• Estimating Damage and Damage Levels
• Not an exact science
• Seek informed estimates

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Damage Levels for Residential and Business
Structures

• Affected Minor Major -- Destroyed
• Scale of 1 to 10
• Be consistent in ratings
• Choose the higher level
• Support ratings with damage descriptions
• Should not be necessary to enter most structures

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Damage Assessment Level Guide
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Assessment of Damages to Public Infrastructure

• Dollar-Driven
• Informed Estimates
• Site-By-Site Estimates
• Project Worksheets

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Initial Damage Assessment

• OTHER SOURCES OF DAMAGE INFORMATION
• Department heads and other local personnel
• American Red Cross
• immediate individual family needs
• inspections of homes and businesses
• Insurance adjusters
• Agricultural agencies
• ICS Plans Section/Dispatch Logs

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Initial Damage Assessment

• OTHER SOURCES OF DAMAGE ASSESSMENT EXPERTISE
• Neighboring jurisdictions
• State and federal agencies
• International Code Council, Colorado Chapter

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Initial Damage AssessmentRecord-Keeping

• Substantiates disaster-related expenditures
• Optimizes available financial assistance
• Requires dedicated staff time in each department
  plus overall records coordinator
• Site-by-site documentation
• Legible
• Accurate
• Complete

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Initial Damage AssessmentRecord-Keeping

• Document all local costs and expenditures
  (legible, accurate and complete)
• Insurance information
• Photos/sketches
• Lease agreements
• Contract documentation

• Invoices/receipts
• Daily activity reports
• Equipment logs (hours, miles, gas)
• Materials from stock

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InsuranceCoverage

• First and primary source
• of financial assistance
• Insurance benefits subtracted from available
  governmental assistance
• Have insurance records available for damage
  assessment teams
• National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

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Initial Damage Assessment Summary Form

• Individuals Affected
• Fatalities/Injuries
• Evacuated/Missing
• Sheltered/Hospitalized
• Homes Destroyed and Damaged
• Businesses Destroyed and Damaged
• Infrastructure Impacts (Damages to Public
  Facilities and Services)

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Initial Damage Assessment

• SUMMARY
• Obtain and maintain maps of damaged areas
• Utilize GIS maps and staff, if available, or
  other local mapping resources
• Divide damaged areas into grids/sectors to
  facilitate inspections and records
• Highlight infrastructure, residential, business
  and agricultural damages

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Initial Damage Assessment

• SUMMARY
• Form damage assessment teams
• Contact other sources of damage assessment
  information to obtain data
• Make informed estimates
• Prepare situation reports
• Keep complete and accurate records
• Provide training and exercise opportunities for
  damage assessment team members

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Questions?