REDAS

To address the need of the local government units (LGUs) to acquire immediate earthquake and tsunami information, in 2008-2009, a module on Earthquake and Tsunami Alerting Module (ETAM) was developed and added in REDAS. In this module, using internet connection, LGU Operation Centers can monitor automatically earthquake occurrences in near real time. Users may opt to get their information from three sources such as PHIVOLCS, RIMES and USGS-NEIC. Users can also choose magnitude values that they want to be alerted on. Warning is issued via a speech synthesizer which can alert Watchstanders to the occurrence of earthquake and tsunami. Earthquake and tsunami bulletins may also be downloaded using this module. By 2010, another module, the REDAS Exposure Database Module (EDM) where LGUs can develop their own exposure database using a set of questionnaire and plot them on map was developed. The REDAS EDM later on in 2016 was placed in android smartphones as a collecting platform. Also by this time, to make the REDAS software multi-hazard, hazard maps of hydrometeorological hazards such as floods, rain-induced landslides and storm surges are also incorporated into the software package when distributed. To put relational database in REDAS, the use of sqlite was introduced also where users can develop their own database and transfer formats from GIS to REDAS. Around 2014, through various partnerships, PHIVOLCS was able to develop the impact assessment capabilities of REDAS. Quantifying possible impacts will enable LGUs to prepare properly by having science-based estimate so potential losses in terms of lives and properties. To do this, PHIVOLCS initially tapped the UPD-ICE to develop engineering fragility curves for earthquakes. The UPD-ICE later developed engineering for other hazards such as floods and severe wind hazards in impact assessment modules such as SWIFT and FLoAT which are also incorporated in REDAS. Following this development, through partnerships with SUCs in Regions II, III and XI following methodologies from partnership with Geoscience Australia, the REDAS SHAke module which can compute for impacts due to earthquakes was developed. In the SHAke module, the user can compute possible earthquake impacts such as physical damage, fatalities and economic losses. This is possible by combining earthquake hazard simulation, exposure data and fragility and vulnerability curves. Then in 2016, in partnership with PAGASA and MGB, PHIVOLCS added two other impact calculation modules namely SWIFT (Severe Wind Impact Forecasting Tool) and FLoAT (Flood Loss Assessment Tool). These additional impact assessment tools allow impact calculations for severe wind and flood hazards. Post disaster surveys especially for earthquakes are done to gather data to further improve the engineering fragility curves in REDAS. In 2017, PHIVOLCS co-developed the Crop Damage Assessment Tool (CropDAT), in cooperation with Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU). In this module, impacts due to severe wind and floods can be computed for areas planted to agricultural crops like rice and corn. The results are in terms of losses in yield and peso values. The module was accompanied by a mobile application on data collection that can be used by LGUs for databasing their agricultural areas. In 2019, the tsunami impact calculation module called TsuSIM (Tsunami Simulation and Impact calculation Module) was developed. TsuSIM results are expressed in terms of the number of structures and persons affected. Damages are categorized from None to Severe Damage and computed based on their building types. In TsuSIM, users can plot tsunami hazard maps and from these, will be able to define their own tsunami evacuation routes and location of signages. The TsuSIM is the module used by the REDAS Team to teach LGUs how to develop community-based tsunami early warning systems. During the same year, the 2009 version of the REDAS ETAM was refurbished to a new ETAM. In this new ETAM, users can use Google Earth images to plot earthquakes aside from the usual earthquake monitoring. The REDAS earthquake intensity reporting module called ToSIR (Tool for Seismic Intensity Reporting) is also incorporated in this module. In ToSIR, REDAS users are able to report felt intensities whose results can help improve ground shaking simulation results. Also in 2019, the REDAS EDM tapped the GeoMapperPH platform of PHIVOLCS’ GeoRiskPH Project as a collecting platform of exposure imformation. In this REDAS EDM using GeoMapperPH module, the original EDM questionnaire was retained, with some additions on building attributes related to severe wind. At the same time, the building location is collected as building polygon instead of data. Data collection is also transmitted in real time via internet to a server. In 2020, the latest REDAS module was developed which is the Satellite Rainfall Monitor (SRM). In SRM, the users may be able to tap international organizations like NOAA and JAXA to infer rainfall values in near real time. SRM was developed because raingauges are expensive and maintain and inherently difficult to install. In SRM, users maybe able to install virtual rain gauges in any site of their choice. They can use this to monitor rain values and from these, develop local early warning systems for lahars, landslides and floods. The latest modules is the Quick Lahar Impact Assessment Tool (QLIST), where users can compute for impacts due to lahars. Photo 1 shows the opening pages of the five impact assessment modules in REDAS while Photo 2 shows the two REDAS hazard monitoring tools ETAM and SRM. Photo 1 shows the opening pages of the REDAS impact assessment modules: 1.SHAke (for earthquake), 2. TsuSIM (for tsunami), 3) QLIST (for volcanic lahars), 4) FLoAT (for flood), and 5) SWIFT (for severe wind) and 6) CropDAT (for agricultural crops) Photo 2 shows the opening page of the REDAS hazard monitoring modules ETAM and SRM