This layer was created as part of a Flood Inundation Map Library developed for display within the NOAA National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services (AHPS), the SRBC Susquehanna Inundation Map Viewer (SIMV), and the USGS Flood Inundation Mapper (FIM). This data represents the potential flood extent for a stage of 11-ft to 37-ft as recorded at the Harrisburg (Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, PA; USGS ID 01570500) river gage. This data is part of a series of inundation layers meant to correlate observations and forecasts from the river gage with a visual representation of the areas impacted by high water. The data set of flood inundation areas was created from flood scenarios generated by HEC-RAS runs provided by USACE-Baltimore and LiDAR data from PASDA processed to extract bare earth points. A shapefile of inundation area for each stage was created and subsequently merged to form continuous datasets for the main-stem Susquehanna River and backwater areas on its tributaries.This data was developed to assist the public and emergency officials with planning and response to high water episodes at or near a defined National Weather Service river forecast point.

Feature layer of BicyclePA Routes for use with PennDOT's PennShare and OpenData applicationsBicyclePA routes were designed by experienced bicyclists to provide those who wish to traverse the state by bicycle with a guide to some of the Commonwealth’s highways and rail-trails. Some of these routes contain bike lanes or other facilities designed specifically for bicyclists traveling within the four corners of the Commonwealth. Every bicyclist is responsible for his or her personal safety and welfare and for remaining alert and mindful of conditions on the roads or trails. There are 10 designated BicyclePA routes- A, E, G, J, JS, L, S, V, Y, and Z. A: BicyclePA Route A runs north/south from Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie to the West Virginia border just north of Morgantown in Greene County. E: BicyclePA Route E runs north/south from the New Jersey border along the Delaware River in Morrisville, PA to the Delaware border in Marcus Hook, PA. G: BicyclePA Route G runs north/south from the New York border in Lawrenceville, Tioga County to the Maryland border in Bedford County. J: BicyclePA Route J runs north/south from the New York border in Sayre, Bradford County to the Maryland border in two places: New Freedom, York County and south of Gettysburg in Adams County. JS: BicyclePA Route JS runs east/west between Seven Valleys in York County and Gettysburg in Adams County. L: BicyclePA Route L runs north/south from the New York border south of Binghamton in Susquehanna County to the Delaware border north of Wilmington in Chester County. S: BicyclePA Route S runs east/west from the New Jersey border at the Washington Crossing Military Park on the Delaware River in Bucks County to the West Virginia border east of Wheeling in Washington County. V: BicyclePA Route V runs east/west from the New Jersey border in Portland (Northampton County) to the Ohio border in Lawrence County, roughly parallel with Interstate 80. Y: BicyclePA Route Y runs east/west from the New York border in Pike County to the Ohio border in Crawford County. Z: BicyclePA Route Z runs east/west along the shore of Lake Erie from the New York border to the Ohio border in Erie County. Send your bicycle/pedestrian questions to ra-pdbikepedpa@pa.gov For contact information for your local bike/ped coordinator, please visit the Bike/Ped Coordinators Contact Info Web Page To view the Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver’s Manual, click here.

Exercise Only

This Web Map provides the foundation for a Situational Awareness application for Wilkes Barre, PA that can be used by emergency management staff to identify the impact of a flood on public infrastructure and human populations. The Situational Awareness Viewer is a configuration of Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS that can be used to analyze the impact to people and places within an incident area. The application can be configured within ArcGIS Online or deployed on-premises.This web map is based on a flood hazard assessment of Luzerne County, PA.

Populations along the Susquehanna River Basin, which includes areas of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, reside in one of the most flood prone areas in the United States. Major floods have occurred about every 15 years and flash floods are a consistent threat. Luzerne County, PA communities have long histories of flood emergencies, as the river bisects the county and tributaries are spread throughout. Based on the existing models and historical data, flood protection and management are already high priorities. However, rapidly changing demographics and unpredictable environmental conditions expose the need for more detailed and constantly evolving models for emergency preparedness and response.

This Hazard Analysis of Luzerne County augments the existing flood hazard area models with two additional critical factors for consideration. First, areas with vulnerable populations are identified using the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) 2014 Social Vulnerability Index. This data model incorporates a variety of socioeconomic indicators as part of an analytical matrix that measures the potential resilience of communities facing emergency conditions. All tracts are given a percentile rank (0= Lowest Vulnerability to 1=Highest Vulnerability) for fifteen variables. Four major theme rankings (Socioeconomic, Housing Composition and Disability, Minority Status & Language, and Housing & Transportation) are compiled as a sum of the variables for each theme. An overall percentile ranking is determined for each tract. For the purposes of this study, Natural Breaks classification was used to group tracts with similar overall tract scores. All tracts with overall ratings above .7372 (top 2 of 5 classes) are defined as “High Vulnerability”, with populations that are at the highest risk during crisis level events of any kind. In addition, critical infrastructure locations are identified and mapped.

Given the incalculable value of human life and importance of essential infrastructure to response and recovery, both the “High Vulnerability” areas and critical emergency locations layers are intersected with a layer of flood hazard areas from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. The Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) that intersect with High Vulnerability areas are defined as “High Hazard Areas”.

The United States National Grid (USNG) for Luzerne County is also available as a comparative layer.

About the SFHA

The land area covered by the floodwaters of the base flood is the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) on NFIP maps. The SFHA is the area where the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP's) floodplain management regulations must be enforced and the area where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies.

What is the SVI?

Social vulnerability refers to the resilience of communities when confronted by external stresses on human health, stresses such as natural or human-caused disasters, or disease outbreaks. Reducing social vulnerability can decrease both human suffering and economic loss. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. census variables at tract level to help local officials identify communities that may need support in preparing for hazards or recovering from disaster.

What is the USNG?

The United States National Grid (USNG) is a point reference system of grid references commonly used in the United States. It provides a nationally consistent language of location in a user-friendly format. It is similar in design to the national grid reference systems used throughout other nations.

Data Sources

US Homeland Infrastructure Foundation Level Data (HIFLD Open Data Portal)

Emergency Shelters Emergency Services Hospitals Fire Stations Police Stations Colleges and Universities Private Schools Public Schools

ATSDR 2014 Social Vulnerability Index (link)

FEMA Flood Map Service Center (link)

The United States National Grid (USNG) (link)