Topic: Flood Zone GIS Data

[mjfarrell]

We can download about any gis data we need for free, but the FEMA maps. Why is that?

uh, I dunno Tennessee


[stand by for conspiracy theory]

perhaps that is how the government pays for the gas in all those black helicopters

[sinc]

You should be able to make "firmettes" for free.  Not sure why they limit it to those, though.  They're kind of slow to create, and annoying if you need a bunch of them, but they're free.  (It takes maybe a half-dozen 11x17 "firmettes" to cover one full panel.)

[SomeCallMeDave]

FEMA has a Web Map Service http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3292

But I haven't been able to get any maps from it.  It will send me a big list of capabilities, but all the maps that I try just come back as blank.

Capabilities http://hazards.fema.gov/wmsconnector/wmsconnector/Servlet/NFHL?REQUEST=GetCapabilities&SERVICE=WMS

Map Test that returns empty map http://hazards.fema.gov/wmsconnector/wmsconnector/com.esri.wms.Esrimap/NFHL?&SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.1.1&REQUEST=GetMap&LAYERS=Streams,Flood_Hazard_Zones_General&STYLES=&SRS=EPSG:4326&BBOX=-105.0,30.0,-80.5,60.0&WIDTH=1000&HEIGHT=1000&FORMAT=image/png

If I have any luck, I will post back.  Please let me know if you try and are successful.

[jdensmer]

For some, Google Earth imagery with FEMA flood zones overlaid might be useful. FEMA has a .kmz file available at:

https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/wps/portal/NFHLWMSkmzdownload

This data source allows viewing of flood zones, BFE lines, and other published data in Google Earth. Using Civil3D to import the Google Earth image brings in the FEMA display.

[mjfarrell]

David,

What is the URL of the initial search page you are using?

it seems your criteria also includes com.esri.wms re you using MAP or?

[dfarris75]

Yeah Sinc the firmettes is what we've been using. I am looking for shapefiles I can just import into my dwg as opposed to importing an image file and scaling/placing it where it ought to be. I think shapefiles are also available through fema or gis sites, but they charge $ for them. Jacksonville is beginning to ask for the flood zones to be shown on the plans. We can of course use the images from the gis interfaces, but when we have to scale and place them ourselves the question of accuracy comes up.

jdensmer, Didn't the Google Earth import feature get broken after version 4? Is it fixed?

[jdensmer]

Google Earth import works for me. I use C3D 2010 Ver 3 with Google Earth 5.0.

[SomeCallMeDave]

David,

What is the URL of the initial search page you are using?

Michael,

I have been trying to hit the FEMA WMS server using Ruby code, so the info that I am using comes from the GetCapabilities request.  The idea was to have a file open in AutoCAD then run a list proggie that fetched the flood data for a chose location in the file and overlayed the returned image.  But it ain't working out so swell yet.

The code below shows the HTTP requests that I am using.  They can be hit with a web browser too.

Code: [Select]

require 'net/http'

#This will return a xml file will all the info about the WMS - Just hit it with a browser and save the file
#res = Net::HTTP.get(URI.parse("http://hazards.fema.gov/wmsconnector/wmsconnector/Servlet/NFHL?REQUEST=GetCapabilities&SERVICE=WMS"))

#This attempts to hit a service that is listed in the data received from above XML - but I won't work for me
res = Net::HTTP.get(URI.parse("http://hazards.fema.gov/wmsconnector/wmsconnector/com.esri.wms.Esrimap/NFHL?&SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.1.1&REQUEST=GetMap&LAYERS=Streams,Flood_Hazard_Zones_General&STYLES=&SRS=EPSG:4326&BBOX=-105.0,30.0,-80.5,60.0&WIDTH=1000&HEIGHT=1000&FORMAT=image/png"))   

#This attempts to hit a service that is listed in the FEMA printed matter - but I won't work for me either
res2 = Net::HTTP.get(URI.parse("http://hazards.fema.gov/wmsconnector/wmsconnector/Servlet/NFHL?&SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.1.1&REQUEST=GetMap&LAYERS=Streams,Flood_Hazard_Zones_General&STYLES=&SRS=EPSG:4326&BBOX=-105.0,30.0,-80.5,60.0&WIDTH=1000&HEIGHT=1000&FORMAT=image/png"))   

#This is a call to a Navy server (or Navy redirect, I'm not sure which - that works swimmingly
#res = Net::HTTP.get(URI.parse("http://columbo.nrlssc.navy.mil/ogcwms/servlet/WMSServlet/Earth_Satellite_Corp_Maps.wms?SERVICE=WMS&REQUEST=GetMap&LAYERS=1:0,1:2&BBOX=-179,-89,179,89&WIDTH=1800&HEIGHT=1000&FORMAT=image/png"))

puts res.inspect if res.match(/exception/i)

f = File.open("c:\\jobs\\test.png", "wb") {|f| f.write res}



[mjfarrell]

in theory the process in MAP is to browse to the MAP page/image offered by the server and then Paste that address in to the FDO connect box....and then viola' the imagery is in your file...

Paste the address into the Data Connect window in AutoCAD Map 3D.

the HELP file
I found this page that lets me search the zones, however it is an FPS server and thus will NOT connect.
https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLd44PMATJmMUbxBub6keiijjCBXw98nNT9YOAEpHmQAlDIz_9qJzU9MTkSv1gfW_9AP2C3NCIcm9HRwDVE8eE/delta/base64xml/L0lDU0lKTTd1aUNTWUpKQSEvb01vUUFBSVFnU0FBWXhqR01ZeFNtTU1ZLzRKRmlDbzBEckU1Uk9ncU5DNzlZUTdzSS83XzBfMTJPLzI3L3NhLmxlZ2VuZC5MZWdlbmRGb3JtQWN0aW9u#7_0_12O


it looks like there isn't any search page...

[mjfarrell]

and not even your navy link/search criteria returns anything other than connection errors...

[mjfarrell]

Say David, can you give me a search string that is a particular FIRM map #? and NOT those Bounding Box numbers could be why yours returns no image?

[SomeCallMeDave]

and not even your navy link/search criteria returns anything other than connection errors...

I don't know how you are hitting that Navy link,  but when I hit it with a browser or use the posted Ruby code,  I get a cool world map.

Of course, I don't know anything about Map.

[SomeCallMeDave]

Say David, can you give me a search string that is a particular FIRM map #? and NOT those Bounding Box numbers could be why yours returns no image?

No,  I can't. The WMS works with bounding box.  It is a more general spec and doesn't know from FIRM maps.  http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/wms

Those numbers could well be why my attempts is not returning a map,  but the coords are well within the range that is provided by the FEMA service GetCapabilities request.

So I don't know why it isn't working,  but I'm still playing with it. 

[mjfarrell]

So I don't know why it isn't working,  but I'm still playing with it. 

I think I'm getting close just by poking around with a get map request in MAP...slowly finding and then clearing error messages...decidedly NOT a very user friendly method to get data.  I'm certain that once I get the correct string in the connection box it could be a usefull tool.   (now WHY did C3D crash...and I was over here typing I swear!)

[Mark]

I'm kinda curious, how accurate is the flood zone data in .shp file form?