Systems and methods for quantifying flood risk

• US 8,655,595 B1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corelogic Solutions LLC (CoreLogic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corelogic Solutions LLC (CoreLogic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Du, Wei, Himmelright, Jeff C., Green, Mark Charles, Sears, Lee Jason, Madden, Kevin Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Armand, Marc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US12/027,096
• Time in Patent Office: 2,204 Days
• Field of Search: 702/1, 702/2, 702/5, 702/12, 702/50, 702179-181, 702/183, 702/187, 705/4, 705/313
• US Class Current: 702/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/40 Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping

Abstract

In various embodiments, a flood risk score may be determined for a property point that provides a comprehensive assessment of the property point'"'"'s risk of flooding. Determining the flood risk score may include determining a flood risk characteristic for the property point and assigning a flood risk score that corresponds to the flood risk characteristic. In some embodiments, flood risk characteristics may include a difference in elevation between the elevation of the property point and an elevation of a calculated point (e.g., on a known flood risk zone boundary). Flood risk characteristics may also include a flood zone determination for the property point and/or proximity of the property point to a known flood risk zone boundary or a flood source. In some embodiments, flood risk scores may be provided on flood risk score reports.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of automatically calculating a flood risk score wherein said flood risk score represents a likelihood of a property point being flooded, comprising:

determining by a data processor of a computer system a flood risk zone associated with the property point;

determining by the data processor of the computer system hydrology information associated with the property point;

determining by the data processor of the computer system a ground elevation associated with the property point;

determining by the data processor of the computer system a flood elevation associated with the property point by analyzing the hydrology information;

determining by the data processor of the computer system a variance between the ground elevation and the flood elevation; and

automatically calculating by the data processor of the computer system a flood risk score based at least in part on the flood risk zone, the variance, and the hydrology information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flood zone elevation corresponds to a base flood elevation or a water surface elevation associated with the property point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the variance comprises a difference in elevation between the ground elevation of the property point and a water surface elevation of a calculated point on a flood plain boundary, wherein the calculated point is determined through a radius search for a substantially nearest point on the substantially nearest flood plain boundary.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the variance comprises a difference in elevation between the ground elevation of the property point and an elevation of a substantially nearest point in a substantially nearest known flood risk zone boundary.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein variance comprises a difference in elevation between the ground elevation of the property point and a water surface elevation of a calculated point on a flood plain boundary, wherein the calculated point is determined through a radius search for a substantially nearest point on the substantially nearest flood plain boundary.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the variance comprises proximity of the property point to a known flood risk zone boundary.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the known flood risk zone boundary is a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the variance further comprises proximity of the property point to flood sources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the variance comprises proximity of property point to a water control facility comprising at least one of a dam, a levee, or a pumping station.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) is available for the property point indicating the property point is not within a flood risk zone boundary; and

if an applicable LOMA or LOMR exists for the property point, assigning the flood risk score for the property point to reflect a lower risk of flooding than a flood risk score for a property point in a flood risk zone boundary.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more flood risk characteristics is derived from at least one of a flood frequency versus flood depth curve, a flood risk rating, a flood frequency versus flood loss curve, a flood elevation surface created using flood elevation lines and flood zone boundaries, a calculated average annual loss, a probable maximum loss, and a historical hazard event for the property point.

12. A computer implemented method of automatically calculating a flood risk score wherein said flood risk score represents a likelihood of a property point being flooded, comprising:

determining by a data processor of a computer system at least two or more flood risk characteristics for the property point; and

automatically calculating using the data processor of the computer system a flood risk score corresponding to the at least two or more flood risk characteristics;

wherein determining at least two or more flood risk characteristics comprises;

determining a first flood risk characteristic corresponding to a flood risk zone associated with the property point and a second flood risk characteristic corresponding to a variance between a ground elevation associated with the property point, and a flood elevation associated with the property point that is determined by analyzing hydrology information associated with the property point; and

wherein calculating the score comprises;

calculating a first score component corresponding to the first flood risk characteristic; and

calculating a second score component corresponding to the second flood risk characteristic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein calculating the flood risk score further comprises combining the first score component and the second score component.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least two or more flood risk characteristics comprise at least one of potential coastal surge flooding, proximity of property point to a water control facility, a frequency of alluvial fan flooding experienced by the property point, or whether the property point is in a community within a given class of the National Flood Insurance Program'"'"'s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).

15. A computer implemented method of automatically calculating a flood risk score wherein said flood risk score represents a likelihood of a property point being flooded, comprising:

determining by a data processor of a computer system at least two or more flood risk characteristics for the property point; and

automatically calculating using the data processor of the computer system a flood risk score corresponding to the at least two or more flood risk characteristics using a programmed computer;

wherein determining at least two or more flood risk characteristics comprises;

determining a first flood risk characteristic corresponding to a flood zone of the property point and a second flood risk characteristic corresponding to a difference in elevation between a ground elevation of the property point and an elevation of a substantially nearest point in a substantially nearest known flood risk zone boundary;

wherein calculating the score comprises;

calculating a first score component corresponding to the first flood risk characteristic, and calculating a second score component corresponding to the second flood risk characteristic.

16. A system that automatically calculates a flood risk score, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to;

determine the flood risk score wherein said flood risk score represents a likelihood of a property point being covered by water, by;

determining at least two or more flood risk characteristics for the property point;

calculating a flood risk score corresponding to the at least two or more flood risk characteristics, wherein determining at least two or more flood risk characteristics comprises determining a first flood risk characteristic corresponding to a flood risk zone associated with the property point and a second flood risk characteristic corresponding to a variance between a ground elevation associated with the property point, and a flood elevation associated with the property point that is determined by analyzing hydrology information associated with the property point; and

wherein calculating the score comprises;

calculating a first score component corresponding to the first flood risk characteristic; and

calculating a second score component corresponding to the second flood risk characteristic.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions stored therein, wherein the computer instructions when executed by a computer processor perform steps of automatically calculating a flood risk score, comprising:

determining with the computer processor the flood risk score wherein said flood risk score represents a likelihood of a property point being covered by water, by;

determining at least two or more flood risk characteristics for the property point;

calculating a flood risk score corresponding to the at least two or more flood risk characteristics, wherein determining at least two or more flood risk characteristics comprises determining a first flood risk characteristic corresponding to a flood risk zone associated with the property point and a second flood risk characteristic corresponding to a variance between a ground elevation associated with the property point, and a flood elevation associated with the property point that is determined by analyzing hydrology information associated with the property point; and

wherein calculating the score comprises;

calculating a first score component corresponding to the first flood risk characteristic; and

calculating a second score component corresponding to the second flood risk characteristic, wherein said flood risk score includes as factors flood risk zone, elevation, and hydrology information.