The East Harris County Manufacturers Association (EHCMA) and Texas A&M University-Galveston have been working together to create a Coastal Atlas to showcase the harmful impact a possible storm surge or subtropical rain event could have on their community and economy. The atlas emphasizes the need for flood protection for the region by illustrating the threat to property values such a devastating flood would pose. It is the most comprehensive interactive online database ever compiled about the Texas coast.
“Because the Coastal Atlas was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, Texas Sea Grant, Texas General Land Office and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), volumes of information that were never before available are now a mouse click away for the general public,” said EHCMA’s Executive Director Craig Beskid, summarizing what makes the Coastal Atlas different from other interactive online maps.
Created and constantly updated by Texas A&M University-Galveston researchers, the Coastal Atlas provides a central access point for anyone interested in learning and understanding critical information about the human and environmental aspects of flood risks along the Texas coast. Community members at all levels can identify, visualize and assess the potential effects of flooding using hundreds of different spatial data layers on top of aerial photographs through Microsoft Virtual Earth, Google Earth or Yahoo! Maps.
“The mayors in East Harris County support this project and informed EHCMA this was a top priority for their respective cities,” said Beskid. “In addition, Texas Sens. Sylvia Garcia and Larry Taylor asked EHCMA to engage in this important project for the region and support continued studies by Texas A&M University needed to receive federal funding for this project.
“EHCMA supports the cities and communities where our plants are located to help reduce the risk of storm impacts.”
The atlas has many tools. The newest and most unique feature is the “swipe” tool, which enables users to see the impact of various predicted or historical storms on property values.
“This tool is useful for comparing predicted flood losses with and without structural mitigation,” Beskid explained. “Swiping the cursor across a nonprotection layer would reveal the pattern of reduced losses if certain mitigation strategies are implemented.”
Another feature illustrates a “what if” scenario dealing with stormwater runoff in Galveston County.
“This component can help users understand the consequences of developing a specific parcel before the shovel hits the ground,” said Beskid. “It shows areas that are susceptible to hurricane damage and how much damage might occur if a hurricane makes landfall.
“There are also ‘social vulnerabilities’ of living along the coast, such as rising property values, increased hotspots of population and other risks,” Beskid explained. “When a hurricane hits, it’s almost impossible to evacuate an entire city like Houston, so the atlas can provide different evacuation scenarios.”
The Coastal Atlas can be accessed at www.tamug.edu/CTBS/Atlas. According to Beskid, the Galveston Bay Coastal Atlas component is currently receiving about 1,000 users per month. The system is used by residents, decision makers, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, industry groups, etc. — anyone who is interested in better understanding issues related to coastal resiliency.
“Industry can support the Coastal Atlas project by providing input on how to make it a more effective tool for industrial interests around Galveston Bay,” Beskid concluded. “Texas A&M is also interested in developing customized platforms and tools to cater to the needs of industry as they relate to flood mitigation and long-term coastal resiliency.”
For more information, visit www.ehcma.com or www.tamug.edu/CTBS/Atlas.
