Systems and methods for quantifying flood risk

• US 9,213,994 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corelogic Solutions LLC (CoreLogic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corelogic Solutions LLC (CoreLogic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Green, Mark Charles, Sears, Lee Jason, Du, Wei, Himmelright, Jeff C., Madden, Kevin Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US14/179,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 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: 1/1
• 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 non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system that includes a data processor and is connected to at least one data repository, perform a method comprising:

(a) determining, by the data processor of the computer system, a flood risk zone associated with a property area by analyzing flood map data;

(b) determining, by the data processor of the computer system, hydrology information associated with the property area by analyzing a hydrology dataset or implementing a hydrologic method;

(c) analyzing, by the data processor of the computer system, an elevation dataset and geocoded attributes of the property area to determine a property elevation associated with the property area;

(d) determining, by the data processor of the computer system, a flood elevation associated with the property area by analyzing the hydrology information and the elevation dataset;

(e) determining, by the data processor of the computer system, a variance between the property elevation and the flood elevation;

(f) 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;

(g) storing, by the data processor in the at least one data repository, the calculated flood risk score;

(h) producing and displaying an interactive web page that includes a map of real properties and an indication of the flood risk score in association with at least one of the real properties.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the property area comprises a property point.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the property elevation comprises a ground elevation.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flood elevation corresponds to a base flood elevation or a water surface elevation associated with the property area.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the variance comprises a difference in elevation between the property elevation of the property area 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 non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the variance comprises a difference in elevation between the property elevation of the property area and an elevation of a substantially nearest point in a substantially nearest known flood risk zone boundary.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the known flood risk zone boundary is a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flood risk score is further calculated based on at least one of potential coastal surge flooding, proximity of property area to a water control facility, a frequency of alluvial fan flooding experienced by the property area, or whether the property area is in a community within a given class of the National Flood Insurance Program'"'"'s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the flood risk score is further calculated based on proximity of property area to a water control facility comprising at least one of a dam, a levee, or a pumping station.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

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

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

11. A system comprising:

physical data storage configured to flood risk data; and

a computer system in communication with the physical data storage, the computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system programmed to;

determine a flood risk zone associated with a property area by analyzing flood map data;

determine proximity of property area to a flood risk zone boundary, a flood source, or a water control facility by analyzing the flood map data, a hydrology dataset, and an elevation dataset;

automatically calculate a flood risk score based at least in part on the flood risk zone and proximity of property area to a flood risk zone boundary, a flood source, or a water control facility;

store in the physical data storage the calculated flood risk score; and

produce and display an interactive web page that includes a map of real properties and an indication of the flood risk score in association with at least one of the real properties.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the property area comprises a property point.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the flood risk score is further calculated based on a property elevation associated with the property area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the flood risk score is further calculated based on a variance between the property elevation and a flood elevation associated with the property area.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the variance comprises a difference in elevation between the property elevation of the property area 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.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the variance comprises a difference in elevation between the property elevation of the property area and an elevation of a substantially nearest point in a substantially nearest known flood risk zone boundary.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the known flood risk zone boundary is a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the flood risk score is further calculated based on at least one of potential coastal surge flooding, a frequency of alluvial fan flooding experienced by the property area, or whether the property area is in a community within a given class of the National Flood Insurance Program'"'"'s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system that includes a data processor and is connected to at least one data repository, perform a method comprising:

(a) determining, by the data processor of the computer system, a flood risk zone associated with a property area by analyzing flood map data;

(b) analyzing, by the data processor of the computer system, an elevation dataset and geocoded attributes of the property area to determine a property elevation associated with the property area;

(c) determining, by the data processor of the computer system, a flood elevation associated with the property area by analyzing a hydrology dataset and the elevation dataset;

(d) determining, by the data processor of the computer system, a flood depth between the property elevation and the flood elevation;

(e) automatically calculating, by the data processor of the computer system, a flood risk score based at least in part on the flood risk zone and the flood depth;

(f) storing, by the data processor in the at least one data repository, the calculated flood risk score; and

(g) producing and displaying an interactive web page that includes a map of real properties and an indication of the flood risk score in association with at least one of the real properties.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the property area comprises a property point.