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Elk Grove Disaster Preparedness Project

PlaceWorks prepared a report and online Story Map for the City of Elk Grove to analyze three potential disaster scenarios: an explosion, a train derailment and toxic spill, and a major flood.

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Client

City of Elk Grove

Location

Elk Grove, California

Services

  • GIS
  • Climate Action & Resiliency
  • Disaster Preparation
  • Comprehensive Planning

PlaceWorks relied on its extensive experience in disaster preparedness, climate action planning, and geographic information systems (GIS) to develop the disaster preparedness project. PlaceWorks staff analyzed three scenarios: 1) an explosion (blast wave and resulting fire) at the Suburban Propane facility in southeastern Elk Grove; 2) a train derailment and potential toxic spill along the railroad track through central Elk Grove; and 3) a major flooding event resulting from a Sacramento River levee break just west of Elk Grove.

The report used GIS to analyze the likely geographic area of impact for each scenario, the number of households and people in each evacuation area, the vulnerable populations in each evacuation area, major evacuation routes leading out of the area, and traffic conditions on each evacuation route by peak period. The report concludes with recommendations for notifying and evacuating vulnerable populations in evacuation areas as well as for which routes would need contra-flow lanes during an emergency evacuation. Results from the report were adapted into an ArcGIS Online Story Map for the public to use for disaster preparedness planning.