Identifier

etd-06132006-125156

Degree

Master of Science in Engineering Science (MSES)

Department

Environmental Sciences

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Since settlement first began, equality issues between different social classes have been evident in the location of where residents settled in New Orleans. This research seeks to answer the question: What socioeconomic indicators are prevalent in the areas most-at-risk to flooding which could inhabit populations least able to evacuate? I will use Census 2000 block group data from the socioeconomic sample data (SF3) collected in 2000, along with other economic and GIS data from the New Orleans region to statistically represent the distribution of risk by selecting indicators predicted to be in flood zones from a classification tree analysis. Then, the results are shown in a spatial manner to identify the location of the most vulnerable people to a hurricane based on a set of indicators. The ADvanced CIRCulation Model (ADCIRC) hurricane storm surge modeling (1) Hurricane Pam and (2) Hurricane Pam—85 percent strength, two hurricane disaster exercises, hurricane probability estimates, and resampled LIDAR elevation data will be used as the base maps to characterize the areas that will flood first during a hurricane. The overlaying of the physical and social layers will identify the most socioeconomically vulnerable people in the first-to-flood areas to show where evacuation planning is essential. Recommendations for successfully evacuating residents are then discussed.

Date

2006

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

John Pine

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.515

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