Bryan Smith

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SVRGIS
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) GRAPHICAL
DATABASE OF TORNADO, LARGE HAIL, AND DAMAGING
WIND REPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES (1950-2005)
Bryan Smith Ball State University
October 17, 2006 NWA 31st Annual Meeting
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SVRGIS

• Overview
• Methodology
• Application

• Motivation
• Develop a methodology
• Availability of a GIS severe database
• Examine multi-disciplinary relationships
• Spatial
• Statistical
• Layer format

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Graphical Databases

• SeverePlot ver. 2.0
• User-friendly
• Simple
• SVRGIS
• Advanced analysis
• Data input

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Methodology

• NCDCs Storm Data
• ascii text files www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/
• ESRIs ArcGIS 9
• ArcMap ArcCatalog programs
• Imported data tables

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Methodology

• Created personal geodatabases (.mdb) and
  shapefiles (.shp)
• Visual Basic script for tornado tracks
• Input miscellaneous data

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Layering Data

• Municipal boundaries
• Location features
• Storm Reports

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Layering Data
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Layering Indianapolis tornado data
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Subdivision-scale
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Application

• Graphical and statistical analysis
• Data queries (sorting)
• Location
• By attributes

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Attribute Table
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Supercell Tornado Tracks
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Spatial Point Density

• Hail gt 2 in. (1980-2005)
• 1 km grid and 100 km radius
• Layers State, County, Urban

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Summary

• Complement existing programs
• Advanced analysis
• Multi-disciplinary
• Assess vulnerability (i.e. monetary)
• Many possible users
• Government, research academia, DHS, private
  sector

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Software

• ESRIs ArcGIS 9
• Microsoft Office Access
• Recommended viewing programs
• ArcMap
• ArcExplorer (free)
• Run on many platforms

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Kevin Turcotte Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan
  
• Ball State University
• John Kwiatkowski, Chad Swain, Eric Zimmerman
• NWS Indianapolis

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http//www.crh.noaa.gov/ind/?nsvrgis
QUESTIONS?
Bryan Smith Ball State University
October 17, 2006 NWA 31st Annual Meeting