Storm Surge Maps Versus Evacuation Maps
Image courtesy of Tony Armstrong-Sly under Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.
For today’s blog post, I thought I’d take a step back and review 2 tools that come in handy when planning for emergencies – storm surge maps and evacuation maps. Obviously, surge maps are only relevant for utilities near coastal areas, but it’s good to know about them and how they compare to a traditional evacuation map.
Surge Maps Vs. Evacuation Maps
Generally speaking, storm surge maps are issued by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) whenever a coastal storm becomes a threat. These maps are developed by analyzing wind speeds, atmospheric pressure, and other key variables to predict the potential height of storm surge activity. Importantly, storm surge flooding can occur even for storms that do not make landfall.
Evacuation maps on the other hand, while related, are not to be used interchangeably with surge maps. Evacuation maps are essentially one of the outputs of a storm surge map, in the sense that they incorporate factors like storm surge, wind speed and other elements to inform residents of the severity of the situation and what they should be doing to prepare.
Overall, both of these tools are customer-oriented, but they can still be handy tools in the local utility’s proverbial toolbox. Any relevant information is important during an emergency situation, and it’s often helpful to have an understanding of the information that customers are being fed, so this can be incorporated into communication tactics and other response activities.
For utility companies located inland, there is little need for surge maps, but evacuation maps still offer value. By knowing where residents are instructed to go, and in what geographic areas, utilities can optimize the dispatching of recovery crews.
In the final analysis, even customer-based information can offer value to utility companies that are planning for, and responding to, a storm. Whether it’s evacuation or storm surge maps, when it comes to planning and response, knowledge is power.
