Lessons from Hurricane Ike

Glossary

Glossary A Abutment: the structural element, typically constructed of concrete or timber, at either end of a bridge that supports the ends of the bridge. Advanced Circulation (AdCiRC) Model: the model used to map coastal circulation and storm surge in the event of an approaching hurricane. Approach (to a bridge): the part of the bridge that carries traffic from the land onto the bridge. B Bascule Section: a movable span that rotates to raise one end vertically. A bridge may have one or two sections that meet in the center to allow large ships to pass beneath the bridge. Bathymetry: a measurement of the depth of water in coastal areas. Shallow bathymetry contributes to heightened storm surge. Bent Beam: a horizontal structural element (beam) that supports the bridge span, and transfers loads from the super structure to the columns. it is also called a bent cap. Box-Girder: a bridge girder element that is box-like in shape. it may be hollow or solid. C Contraflow: the reversal of inbound freeway lanes to allow efficient outbound traffic flow during an emergency event. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ): established within the Executive Office of the President under the national Environmental Policy Act (nEPA) to coordinate federal environmental efforts and work with agencies and other White house offices to develop environmental policies and initiatives. D deck: the roadway portion of a bridge. deck Bridge: a bridge in which the supporting members are all beneath the roadway. deck Uplift: is caused by storm surge when the force attributed to wave loading exceeds the weight of the deck, lifting it off of its supports. digital hybrid Reflectivity (dhR): monitors average accumulated precipitation in a basin at a resolution of 1 degree by 1 km. directed Evacuation: see Mandatory Evacuation disaster Recovery Centers (dRC): a facility or mobile office where one can go for information about FEMA or other disaster assistance programs. glossary 178 E El niño- Southern Oscillation (EnSO): a warm phase associated with high sea surface temperatures off the coast of Peru, low atmospheric pressure over the eastern Pacific, and increased vertical wind shear over the Atlantic. Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC): leads a staff of trained professionals to determine a method for communication within a community and course of action to be taken prior to, during, and after an emergency event. Enhanced Fujita tornado damage Scale: a scale from EF0-EF6 indicating the most intense damage caused by a tornado event. F Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): created in 1979 to perform all federal activities related to disaster mitigation and emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction (FFMP): a collaborative effort involving the national Weather Service (nWS), the national Severe Storms laboratory (nSSl), and the national Center for Atmospheric Research (nCAR) to improve the accuracy and timeliness of warnings issued by nWS forecasters, through the development of automated warning guidance. (national Weather Service 2009) Flash Flood Warning: issued to inform the public, emergency management agencies , and other cooperating agencies that flash flooding is in progress, imminent, or highly likely. (national Weather Service 2009) Flash Flood Watch: issued to indicate current or developing hydrologic conditions that are favorable for flash flooding in and close to the watch area, but the occurrence is neither certain or imminent. (national Weather Service 2009) Flash Flood: caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours. (national Weather Service 2009) Flood insurance Rate Map (FiRM): an official map released by FEMA that indicates probabilistic areas of flooding to be used during urban planning and development . Flood: an overflow of water onto normally dry land; the inundation of a normally dry area caused by rising water in an existing waterway; ponding of water at or near the point where the rain fell. (national Weather Service 2009) Floodplain: the portion of a river valley that has been inundated by a river during historic flooding. (national Weather Service 2009) G Geographic information System (GiS): integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and glossary 179 displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. Girder: a horizontal structure member supporting vertical loads by resisting bending. H harris County Flood Control district (hCFCd): a government agency developed to address the affects of flooding in the harris County, texas by creating flood damage reduction plans and maintaining flood control infrastructure. houston Galveston Area Council (hGAC): the region-wide, voluntary association of...