Emergency planning zones (EPZs) are used by HEC-FIA for defining common life loss input parameters for groups of structures and for aggregating consequence results. EPZs are usually defined by the geographic domain of the authority responsible for issuing warnings for natural disasters. If a shapefile has been added to the study that represents the EPZs (using a polygon feature class), the user can import the EPZs from that shapefile. As of HEC-FIA Version 3.1 it is possible to import Impact Area System FSYS files (*.fsys), which are HEC-FIA Version 3.0.1 (or older) impact area legacy files. The ability to import HEC-FIA legacy .fsys files as EPZs allows the user to use previously created and defined impact areas as EPZs in HEC-FIA Version 3.1 (or newer) projects.

Import from Polygon Shapefiles

To import emergency planning zones from a polygon shapefile:

  1. From the Study Tree, from the Geographic Data folder, right-click on the Emergency Planning Zone folder. From the shortcut menu, click Import; the Import Emergency Planning Zones dialog box opens.

    Figure: Emergency Planning Zone - Study Tree Shortcut Menu

  2. From the Import Emergency Planning Zones dialog box, in the Emergency Planning Zone Name text box, a name must be entered (i.e., Impact_Areas_EPZs). This creates an emergency planning zone set. Since EPZs allow users to change warning system types and population index factors, typical naming conventions include descriptions of what warning system and population index factor the user is using.

    Figure: Import Emergency Planning Zones Dialog Box - Example

  3. The Shapefile Name lists the available polygon shapefiles that have been added as map layers to the project. If a map layer that represents the emergency planning zones has not been added to the HEC-FIA project, click the button. The Open browser window opens. Browse to the location of the shapefile that represents the EPZs file, select the shapefile (.shp) filename (i.e., EPZ.shp), and click Open. The Open browser window closes, and the Import Emergency Planning Zones dialog box is populated with information from the selected shapefile.
  4. From the Unique Name list, select from the shapefile the data field that contains the name of the emergency planning zones. Once selected the table on the Import Emergency Planning Zones dialog box lists the available EPZ information. If each EPZ is a contiguous polygon, then the checkbox in the Import column of the table is checked by default. If something is wrong with the polygon that represents an EPZ, the unchecked checkbox is disabled (greyed out), and the EPZ cannot be imported until the issue is resolved.
  5. Click OK, the Import Emergency Planning Zones dialog box closes. Information from the selected shapefile is now part of an emergency planning zones set.

Import from FSYS Files

To import emergency planning zones from an FSYS file (usually generated by an earlier version of HEC-FIA):

  1. From the Study Tree, from the Geographic Data folder, right-click on the Emergency Planning Zone folder. From the shortcut menu, click Import from FSYS; the Open browser window opens.

  2. From the Open browser window, navigate to the location of the FSYS file that represents the impact area system (*.fsys), select the filename (i.e.,
    Impact_Areas.fsys), and click Open. The Open browser window closes, and the information from the selected FSYS file is now part of an emergency planning zones set.

    Figure: Open Browser Window - Import EPZs from HEC-FIA FSYS Files

Define Life Loss Parameters

Life loss parameters are defined for an existing emergency planning zones set. Warning systems and mobilization functions can be defined independently for each zone. User-defined warning systems (day and/or night first alert) and mobilization functions (protective action initiation) can be defined, which allow the user to enter the most representative function values for an EPZ (common procedure when the user conducts an expert elicitation with the local Emergency Management Agency).

To define life loss parameters for emergency planning zones:

  1. From the Study Tree, from the Geographic Data folder, from the Emergency Planning Zone folder, right-click on a defined EPZ set (i.e., Impact_Areas_EPZs). Click Edit, from the shortcut menu; the Emergency Planning Zone Editor opens.
  2. From the Emergency Planning Zone Editor, click the Life Loss Parameters tab.

  3. To apply the same life loss parameters to all EPZs, check the  checkbox to Apply to all emergency planning zones. Note, the three tabs (Day First Alert, Night First Alert, and Protective Action Initiation tabs) located within the Life Loss Parameters tab. The following sections provide instructions for setting the life loss parameters.|

    Figure: Emergency Planning Zones Set - Shortcut Menu Commands


    Figure: Emergency Planning Zone Editor - Example - Life Loss Parameters Tab

Day or Night Warning System Functions

For the Day First Alert and Night First Alert tabs, the Warning System functions are set using the same instructions. To define the day and/or night first alert warning system functions:

  1. From either the Day First Alert or Night First Alert tab, from the Warning System list, select the warning system that is applicable to the community(s) within the selected EPZ. The warning systems list for created EPZ contains: Default, Above Average, Below Average, and User Defined.
    Note: For EPZs imported from FSYS impact areas, the warning systems list contains the warning system function defined for the FSYS impact area, in addition to Default, Above Average, Below Average, and User Defined.

    Figure: Day or Night - Warning System Curves - Available and Imported from FSYS


    The warning system defines the amount of time it takes from a warning issuance to the moment population at risk receives the warning. This information is determined by reviewing local emergency management plans for information on warning systems in the inundated area. Select the emergency warning system that most closely represents the system used by the local Emergency Management Agency.

  2. Additionally, curves can be created through an expert elicitation process which has been created by Drs. Mileti and Sorenson (References). These curves can be created by selecting User Defined from the Warning System list. An Input dialog opens.

    Figure: Warning System Function - User Defined - Input Dialog

  3. From the Input dialog, enter the name of the warning system function (e.g., EAS and Email), click OK. The Input dialog closes, the name of the function appears in the Warning System list (i.e., EAS and Email) and the user now needs to define the parameters for the new function.

  4. The User Defined warning system enables the Error Distribution Type list. The error distribution type list for user-defined warning systems contains the following options: None (default), Normal, Log Normal, Triangular, and Uniform. From the Error Distribution Type list, the user can select a distribution type and define the proper uncertainty parameters for every ordinate in the curve.

    Figure: Day or Night - User Defined Warning System - Available Error Distribution Types

Protective Action Initiation Mobilization Functions

  1. To define protective action initiation (PAI) mobilization information for the life loss calculations, select the Protective Action Initiation tab. From the Protective Action Initiation list, select the mobilization function (from the list provided: Default, Above Average, Below Average, and User Defined) that is applicable to the community(s) in the selected emergency planning zone. A PAI mobilization curve defines the amount of time it takes after an individual(s) receives a warning to the moment when the individual(s) leaves their home. For a typical reconnaissance study, Default functions might be used, but a Default function is a major source of uncertainty.

  2. Additionally, curves can be created by selecting User Defined from the Protective Action Initiation list. An Input dialog opens, enter the name of the mobilization function, and click OK. The Input dialog closes, the name of the function appears in the Protective Action Initiation list (i.e., Pre-Good_Percep-Unk) and the user now needs to define the parameters for the new function.

    Figure: Protective Action Initiation (PAI) Tab - PAI Mobilization Curves


    Figure: Mobilization Function - User Defined - Input Dialog

  3. The User Defined mobilization function enables the Error Distribution Type list. The error distribution type list for user-defined warning systems contains the following options: None (default), Normal, Log Normal, Triangular, and Uniform. From the Error Distribution Type list, the user can select a distribution type and define the proper uncertainty parameters for every ordinate in the curve.

Additional Parameters

  1. Additional parameters that influence life loss computations can be accessed and modified by clicking the Additional Parameters button. The Additional Parameters dialog box opens. Additional parameters include fatality rates and uncertainties, and non-evacuation depth thresholds.

    Figure: Additional Parameters Dialog Box



    Fatality Rates
    If the user wishes, uncertainty in the fatality rates can be turned on, by checking the  checkbox to Compute with Uncertainty. Further, the user can enter uncertainty (mean) for the following three zones, if the checkbox "Compute with Uncertainty" is not  checked:
    ● Safe Zone – Pr(sz): Zones which are typically dry, exposed to relatively quiescent floodwaters, or exposed to shallow flooding unlikely to sweep people off their feet. Depending on the nature of the flood, examples might include the second floor of residences and sheltered backwater regions. Fatality rate in Safe Zones is virtually zero and averages 0.02 percent.
    ● Compromised Zone – Pr(coz): Zones in which the available shelter has been severely damaged by the flood, increasing the exposure of flood victims to violent floodwaters. An example might be when the front of a house is torn away, exposing the rooms inside to flooding. The historical fatality rate in Compromised Zones ranges from zero to about fifty percent, with an average rate near twelve percent.
    ● Chance Zone – Pr(chz): Zones in which flood victims are typically swept downstream or trapped underwater, and survival depends largely on chance; that is, the apparently random occurrence of floating debris that can be clung to, getting washed to shore, or otherwise finding refuge safely. The historical fatality rate in Chance Zones ranges from about thirty-eight percent to 100 percent, with an average rate over 91 percent.

    Non-Evacuation Depth
    In a gridded inundation configuration, the user can change the non-evacuation depth threshold. The user enters a value in the Non-Evacuation Depth box, remembering that the arrival time grids must be representative of the specified depth's arrival. In a hydrograph-based computation, the non-evacuation depth threshold is retrieved for each structure from the associated hydrographs.

  2. Click OK, the Additional Parameters dialog box will close. If finished defining or editing the life loss parameters for the emergency planning zones, click OK, and the Emergency Planning Zone Editor closes, and parameters for the life loss computation are set.

Population Adjustment

The population in each emergency planning zone (EPZ) can be indexed by the user. Adjustments to the population increase the number of people in each structure within the selected zone; this helps to describe future condition population. To adjust the population:

  1. From the Study Tree, from the Geographic Data folder, from the Emergency Planning Zone folder, right-click on a defined EPZ set (i.e., Impact_Areas_EPZs). Click Edit, from the shortcut menu; the Emergency Planning Zone Editor opens. From the Emergency Planning Zone Editor click the Population Adjustment tab.

    Figure: Emergency Planning Zone Editor - Population Adjustment Tab

  2. From the Emergency Planning Zone Name, select the zone of interest. In the Population Adjustment box, enter a value that adjusts the population. The values expected are decimal values expressed as a percentage relative to current population. A value of one would cause no change to the population, a value of 0.9 would be a ten percent reduction, and a value of 1.1 would be a ten percent increase.
  3. Click OK, the Emergency Planning Zone Editor closes. The population adjustment factor is set for the selected zone.

Adjusted Price Index

Urban and agricultural price indexes in each emergency planning zone (EPZ) can be adjusted by the user to represent spatial price indexes for future conditions, to adjust prices:

  1. From the Study Tree, from the Geographic Data folder, from the Emergency Planning Zone folder, right-click on a defined EPZ set (i.e., Impact_Areas_EPZs). Click Edit, from the shortcut menu; the Emergency Planning Zone Editor opens. From the Emergency Planning Zone Editor click the Adjusted Price Index tab.

    Figure: Emergency Planning Zone Editor - Adjusted Price Index Tab

  2. From the Emergency Planning Zone Name, select the zone of interest. To adjust the urban price index, from the Urban Specifications box, in the Base Data Year box enter a year that represents the price index factor. In the Price Index Factor box enter the price index factor.
  3. To adjust the agricultural price index, from the Agricultural Specifications box, in the Base Data Year box enter a year that represents the price index factor. In the Price Index Factor box, enter the price index factor. 
  4. Click OK, the Emergency Planning Zone Editor closes. The adjusted price factors are set for the selected zone.