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Common Questions and Solutions

This Common Questions and Solutions page has answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and lists solutions to previously identified Hazus issues for the most recent version release of Hazus (3.1). You can use this page as a reference before submitting a request through the Hazus Help Desk.

If you have any questions related to technical issues with previous versions of Hazus or if your issue cannot be resolved by any of the solutions below, feel free to email the Hazus Help Desk at hazus-support@riskmapcds.com to open a ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What versions of ArcGIS is Hazus 3.1 compatible with?

    Hazus 3.1 is compatible with ArcGIS 10.2.2.

  2. When will Hazus be updated with the 2010 US Census data?

    Data from the 2010 Census was incorporated into the Hazus software with the release of Hazus 2.2 in January 2015. The software has been updated to version 3.1, which also uses 2010 Census data.

  3. What are the software requirements for Hazus 3.1?

Hardware Speed2.2 GHZ dual core or higher, 2 GB or higher of memory/RAM
Computer Storage Disk Space10 GB of disk space is needed to store one multi-hazard large urban study region/ Inventory data size varies by state; for the entire US – 70 GB is needed
Video / Graphics Adapter24-bit capable video card with a minimum of 128 MB memory; a resolution of 1078 x 768 or higher is recommended
Supporting
Software		Microsoft Windows 7 and 8.1 (64-bit)  – only US English versions are supported. Support for any 32-bit Windows operating systems has been discontinued.
Esri ArcGIS 10.2.2 (Can be purchased by contacting Esri at 1-800-447-9778 or online at //www.esri.com)
Spatial Analyst extension required with flood model

Installation Solutions

Problem:

Hazus is installing incorrectly due to ArcGIS Administrator issues

Solution:

Below are the steps to install Hazus correctly:

  1. Go to Windows Control Panel -> Uninstall Programs. Click on Hazus 3.0 and then click on 'Uninstall.' Follow the steps provided in the wizard. Repeat for all instances of Microsoft SQL Server
  2. In the Start menu, go to All Programs -> ArcGIS -> ArcGIS Administrator. Ensure all folders and license information is visible:
    Image of the ArcGIS Administrator window. Users will check to see if all folders and license information is visible.
  3. NOTE: If this is your first time installing Hazus 3.1, please skip to Step #4. If you are troubleshooting a failed installation of Hazus 3.1, open the C:\ drive folder. Open BOTH C:\ProgramFiles and C:\ProgramFiles(x86) and delete the “Microsoft SQL Server” folders
  4. Restart the machine
  5. Open the HAZUS_APP folder for 3.1 (this contains the Hazus installation package and is downloaded from //msc.fema.gov/portal/resources/download#HazusDownloadAnchor). If a user has attempted to install Hazus 3.1, the folder is likely on the machine already
  6. Within HAZUS_APP, right click on InstallHazus.exe and click Run as Administrator
  7. For further assistance, please contact the Hazus Help Desk at hazus-support@riskmapcds.com

Problem:

It is difficult to pinpoint the source of my installation issue with Hazus

Solution:

Below are a number of different steps that could resolve a continuing installation issue:

  1. Go to Windows Control Panel -> Uninstall Programs. Click on Hazus 3.0 and then click on 'Uninstall.' Follow the steps provided in the wizard. Repeat for all instances of Microsoft 1. Go to Program Files -> Uninstall a Program, and remove ALL instances of Hazus and Microsoft SQL Server. This will ensure a clean environment
  2. Reboot the machine
  3. Temporarily disable any anti-virus scanners or blockers
  4. Search for "Services" in your Windows search bar (or go to Task Manager -> Services tab) and make sure the WMI Performance Adapter is running.
  5. For Windows 7, select Start and type secpol.msc /s in the search box. In Windows 8.1 refer to //technet.microsoft.com/en‐us/library/cc731745.aspx. Make sure your security policies are set as follows:Local Policy: Debug Programs  set to User Right = SeDebugPrivilege. Local Policy: Manage auditing and security log set to User Right = SeSecurityPrivilege (set to Administrator policies are also fine)
  6. Open the HAZUS_APP folder downloaded from MSC. Right click on "InstallHazus.exe" (NOTE: Do not run setup.exe) and chose Run as Administrator

Flood Model Solutions

Problem:

I cannot obtain a USGS DEM in the Hazus Flood Model

Solution:

Use the following workaround steps to access the DEMs for the Flood Model:

  1. Click 'Hazard - User Data' to bring up the window below:

    The Hazus User Data window displays the option to select and determine the required DEM extent
     
  2. Click 'Determine required DEM Extent' (circled in red above)
  3. The DEM extent will display as four coordinates:

    The DEM Extent window allows users to see the longitude and latitude of the boundaries required for the DEM the user is attempting to navigate to
     
  4. Leave Hazus open, or make a note of the four lat./lon. values. Then in your browser, navigate to: //viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/

    Users navigate to the USGS National Map Viewer in order to select the Bounding Box by Coordinates option to find their corresponding DEM
     
  5. Click on the 'Bounding Box by Coordinates' icon (circled in red above)
  6. Copy the four coordinates from your 'DEM Extent' window in Hazus into the four coordinate boxes in the 'Bounding Box from Coordinates' window in your browser

    Users can copy the DEM Extent window coordinate values into the Bounding Box From Coordinates display
     
  7. If your study region is in the United States, then your region will be in the North and West Hemisphere. Adjust your longitude accordingly by adding a minus (-) sign before each longitude value
  8. Next, click 'Draw Area'
  9. In the 'USGS Available Data for download' window that appears, scroll to the bottom and check 'Elevation DEM Products'

    Users can check off the 'Elevation DEM Products' box that appears in the USGS Available Data for Download window in order to see what DEM products are available for their boundaries
     
  10. Click 'Next'
  11. In the next window, click the 'Resolution' column header to organize the rows by resolution. The default is one arc-second, but you can choose a more detailed resolution if available (i.e., 1/3 or 1/9 arc-second)

    Users will check off the boxes for the resolution levels they want to see and can sort by resolution by clicking on the column header
     
  12. Check all the boxes on the far left that correspond to your chosen resolution (in this example, one arc-second) and that are in the 'ArcGrid' format. Note that there may be multiple ArcGrids required to cover your designated lat./lon. bounding coordinates
  13. If you wish to download zip files directly for each selected ArcGrid, click the Info icons at the far right (boxed in red above) and you will be redirected to a download page. If you prefer to receive an email with batch download options, proceed to Step #15

    The USGS NED Resources screen below allows users to click on the ArcGrid link to download the zipped file of the data they need
     
  14. Scroll down under the 'Links' heading and choose the ArcGrid link to download the zipped file
  15. If you wish to download the files as a batch download and keep an email record of the download links, click 'Next' and the items will be added to your cart

    The USGS Map Viewer Cart allows users to add items to the cart and Checkout the downloads they want to make
     
  16. Click 'Checkout'
  17. Enter your email address and click 'Place Order'

    In the USGS Map Viewer Cart, users can type in their email address and click Place Order to finish their transaction
     
  18. You will see a pop-up message asking you to check your email to see your order. Check your email and click on the links in the email to download your files.
  19. Once all required files are downloaded and unzipped, proceed as you normally would in the Hazus User Data window by browsing to each DEM grid and adding them into User Data. Click 'OK' once all the DEM files have been loaded to merge them together in Hazus

    Back in the User Data window, users will be able see all of their DEM dataset(s) listed out and can finally click OK to finish the process

Related Links

Last Updated: 
07/20/2016 - 13:52