ABSTRACT:

This resource contains GIS layers necessary to reproduce the analysis of the paper "Stakeholder-Driven Design of a Flood Risk Streamflow Monitoring Network for Louisiana, USA" submitted to the Journal of American Water Resources Association (JAWRA). The analysis of this paper is focused on designing a streamflow gauge monitoring network as part of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI) program to enhance the hydrologic modeling and monitoring capabilities of the state of Louisiana. The monitoring network is optimized to capitalize on the resources made available by the LWI program while serving the needs of the local, regional, and federal stakeholders in Louisiana as much as possible. The factors taken into the optimization algorithm included the collected feedback from the stakeholders, as well as a variety of geospatial and geomorphic characteristics of the Louisiana stream network. The analysis also used the current and past conditions of stream monitoring (e.g., existing and discontinued USGS locations). A final set of 123 stream gauges were selected to be deployed. The shapefile containing this set of gauges is also included in this resource.

ABSTRACT:

The GIS layers and data in this resource are derived from the study on flood risk and potential solutions within a flood-prone community in South Louisiana, USA. The analysis leverages the Version 1 (V1) National Structure Inventory dataset in conjunction with the 500-year flood inundation map for Lafayette Parish. The objective was to quantify and analyze the damage and loss to buildings at both an individual and census block level due to potential flood scenarios. To calculate the potential damage, we utilized HAZUS, a nationally standardized methodology developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for estimating potential losses from disasters. HAZUS applies scientific and engineering principles to assess physical damage, economic losses, and social impacts of disasters. The resulting GIS layers represent a critical component of the spatial analysis, offering detailed insights into the spatial distribution of flood risk and the potential economic impact on the community's infrastructure. This documentation aims to provide future users with a comprehensive understanding of each GIS layer. Further details on the methodology behind each layer's production are provided in the sections below.