Methodology for the damage assessment of vehicles exposed to flooding in urban areas

This is the accepted version of the following article: [ Martínez‐Gomariz, E, Gómez, M, Russo, B, Sánchez, P, Montes, J‐A. Methodology for the damage assessment of vehicles exposed to flooding in urban areas. J Flood Risk Management. 2019; 12:e12475. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12475], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12475Within urban areas, humans carry out a great diversity of activities, and some of them require the use of vehicles. Floods, especially in urban areas, can generate significant tangible direct damages to vehicles themselves and to the urban elements in case of loss of stability and collision, which cannot be dismissed. In this paper, after a state-of-the-art review on damage curves for vehicles, a methodology to assess the direct economic impact for vehicles exposed to flooding has been described, and applied within a study carried out in the framework of the BINGO H2020 EU Project. Only three different studies focused on damages to vehicles in contact with floodwater have been found. Contrasting damage curves for vehicles are found when comparing the three approaches, however, the ones proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) offer a high level of completeness and accuracy. Moreover, USACE's development is the most current research and all the steps for the development of the damage curves are comprehensively described. Finally, after the description of a detailed methodology for flood damage mapping for vehicles, a procedure to evaluate the Expected Annual Damage for vehicles is offered.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Earthquake-Induced Structural and Nonstructural Damage in Hospitals

This article was published in the journal, Earthquake Spectra [© (2011) Earthquake Engineering Research Institute]. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.The Sichuan (China) and L’Aquila (Italy) earthquakes have again highlighted the question of our preparedness for natural hazards. Within a few seconds, an earthquake can demolish many buildings, destroy infrastructure, and kill and injure thousands of people. In order to reduce the impact of earthquakes on human life and to prepare hospitals to cope with future disasters, this paper discusses earthquake-related damage to healthcare facilities. It investigates the damage to 34 healthcare facilities in seven countries caused by nine earthquakes between 1994 and 2004, in order to determine common and specific issues. The investigation shows that structural and architectural damage tended to be different and specific to the situation, while utility supplies and equipment damage were similar in most cases and some common trends emerged

Understanding the Use of Crisis Informatics Technology among Older Adults

Mass emergencies increasingly pose significant threats to human life, with a disproportionate burden being incurred by older adults. Research has explored how mobile technology can mitigate the effects of mass emergencies. However, less work has examined how mobile technologies support older adults during emergencies, considering their unique needs. To address this research gap, we interviewed 16 older adults who had recent experience with an emergency evacuation to understand the perceived value of using mobile technology during emergencies. We found that there was a lack of awareness and engagement with existing crisis apps. Our findings characterize the ways in which our participants did and did not feel crisis informatics tools address human values, including basic needs and esteem needs. We contribute an understanding of how older adults used mobile technology during emergencies and their perspectives on how well such tools address human values.Comment: 10 page

FIRM: Flood Insurance Rate Map

Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in administering the National Flood Insurance Program, printed in panels to show precise areas. This map contains a portion of Dallas County, Texas unincorporated areas, including elevations, markings to show areas most prone to flooding, and explanatory notes. Scale 1:12,000

FIRM: Flood Insurance Rate Map

Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in administering the National Flood Insurance Program, printed in panels to show precise areas. This map contains a portion of Irving, Texas, including elevations, markings to show areas most prone to flooding, and explanatory notes. Scale 1:12,000

FIRM: Flood Insurance Rate Map.

Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in administering the National Flood Insurance Program, printed in panels to show precise areas. This map contains a portion of Dallas, Texas in Dallas, Denton, Collin, Rockwall, and Kaufman Counties; it includes elevations, markings to show areas most prone to flooding, and explanatory notes. Scale 1:12,000

FIRM: Flood Insurance Rate Map

Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in administering the National Flood Insurance Program, printed in panels to show precise areas. This map contains a portion of Dallas County, Texas unincorporated areas, including elevations, markings to show areas most prone to flooding, and explanatory notes. Scale 1:12,000

FIRM: Flood Insurance Rate Map

Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in administering the National Flood Insurance Program, printed in panels to show precise areas. This map contains a portion of Tarrant County, Texas and incorporated areas, including elevations, markings to show areas most prone to flooding, and explanatory notes. Scale 1:6,000

FIRM: Flood Insurance Rate Map

Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in administering the National Flood Insurance Program, printed in panels to show precise areas. This map is an index to the panels for Mesquite, Texas, including cities and marked sections with community panel numbers for detailed maps