ICoE for Vulnerability & Resilience Metrics responds to flooding
10 October 2015

This week both US Carolina States experienced one of the most intense and long-lasting rainstorms in recorded history causing widespread and dangerous flooding.  IRDR’s ICoE-VaRM, led by former IRDR SC member Susan Cutter, based at the University of South Carolina in Columbia (the epicenter of the emergency) sprang into action immediately supporting South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the response and recovery effort.

Here is a partial list of their activities. Click here for the latest information.

1)  They are running HAZUS (FEMA’s multi-hazard risk assessment software) for every South Carolina county for the 100 year flood event using a 30-mile stream density. They have completed nine counties and are processing another ten.  The HAZUS runs are computationally intensive and take about two days per county to run.

2)  In partnership with Beaufort County GIS, they are developing a streamlined Individual Assistance (IA) and Preliminary Disaster Assessment (PDA) tool for every county using ESRI’s Collector App.  They have deployed four counties thus far and will continue to build out the tool for the entire state.

3)  Using Citizens as Sensors.  They are collecting geo-located tweets and sorting through them to identify the extent of damages statewide by searching attached photos for undeniable proof of storm or flooding damage.

They will make data available as soon as possible; check back frequently for updates and data releases.

Related News & Events
25 August 2025
IRDR SC member Dr. Ronald Roopnarine contributed to several high-level panels on water conservation, food security, and sustainable agriculture.
20 August 2025
The virtual launch of the 2025 update to the UNDRR–ISC Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs) was held on 18 August 2025. The HIPs provide a comprehensive, science-based overview of 281 hazards, from floods and wildfires to pandemics and cyber threats, serving as an essential resource for disaster risk reduction worldwide.
15 August 2025
IRDR co-organised a special session on Resilient Heritage: Safeguarding ASEAN’s UNESCO Sites for a Sustainable Future, which reinforced IRDR's commitment to science-based solutions that protect both cultural heritage and urban resilience across ASEAN.
Disclaimer of use | Privacy Policy | Terms of use | Contact us|
Copyright 2023 Integrated Research on Disaster Risk. All rights reserved.
+86 10 8217 8917
Room B713, No.9 Dengzhuangnan Rd., Beijing China 100094