Answer:

Not knowing the specifics of your location, I would rather ask questions that you will be able to answer than to give you specific advice about how you use the resources available to you.

A good place to start would be to study the seasonal weather patterns to determine when perishable supplies might be stored in staging areas without going bad. This approach is not quite part of your question, but it could contribute to your consideration of the area’s vulnerabilities.

Looking at the maps without the influence of a disaster is an important element to consider as well. What are the population densities within your potential area of operations? What are the common building materials in use? How high are the buildings in the area? What are the most likely evacuation routes? This last question will become more important during an event in which people have attempted to use these routes, but were cut off from them because of crowding or higher rainfall levels. They may also have taken too long to respond to warnings and been caught out in exposed places. You are most likely to find survivors along these routes, even if they are no longer easily or safely passable.

Another set of determinations will come from knowing what the area looks like under normal conditions. Where are the streets and roads relative to the structures? If there are standout landmarks in the area, the safer routes for watercraft will be easier to find and the hazards presented by structures and terrain features will be easier to avoid.

Where are the historically high ground areas? How will they be utilized? Are they going to be used as shelter locations and/or resource staging areas for human and material resources?

What are the prevailing wind patterns in the area usually like? How do they differ during these events? Does the change in direction of the wind actually help you by providing sheltered spaces for congregate care or does in expose people to greater risk?

The hazard maps are likely to show historically high water lines from previous events. How close to those lines could you stage resources with which to respond to them? How much margin might you likely require to maintain the safety and security of those resources?

What distribution routes can you use during or after one of these events? The maps may provide you with a clearer sense of where to place storage facilities in order to reduce the number of these facilities while serving the areas more effectively.

Maps may also give you some guidance in terms of determining effective response routes for sea-based response efforts as well as land and airborne response efforts. Wind direction makes a difference in choosing these routes as it affects flying time and influences the choices for types of aircraft employed in the effort. Certain aircraft might not be suitable for use due to altitude limitations or airfield conditions in the area around area of operation. For example, using a plateau on a hillside might be a good idea unless the winds drive helicopters into the hills when they attempt to access the landing zone. If there are mountains in the area, how might they affect the pilot’s ability to navigate under storm conditions? Does that determination affect the placement of landing zones or the choices for outside support