# US 8,542,884 B1 · Systems and methods for flood area change detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,884 B1 - Document ID: US8542884B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 11/601,574 - Filed: 2006-11-17 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2006-11-17 - Assignees: CoreLogic Solutions, LLC - Applicants: David R. Maltby, II - Inventors: David R. Maltby, II - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542884B1 ## CPC - G06V 30/422: Technical drawings; Geographical maps - G06F 16/29: Geographical information databases - Y02A 10/40: Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract In various embodiments, old flood maps may be compared to new flood maps to determine which areas of the flood map have changed. These changed areas may be correlated against geographic area descriptions that are within changed areas of the flood map. The changed areas may also be analyzed to determine whether each area has had a change in status (e.g., from a high risk flood zone to a non-high risk flood zone or vice versa) or a change in zone within a status (e.g., from one flood zone to another flood zone). The information on type of change (or no change) may be used to populate a database that includes geographic area description identifiers. In some embodiments, detection of certain types of changes may initiate a manual comparison of the old and new flood maps to verify the change. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: comparing, by a processor a first flood map to an updated second flood map, said first flood map and said updated second flood map each including flood zones and non-flood zones; and creating, by a processor a third flood map, wherein the third flood map includes one or more demarcated areas based on the comparison of the first flood map to the updated second flood map, and wherein the one or more demarcated marking areas comprises a change designator indicating a change in risk level status of the first flood map to the updated second flood map and another designator indicating a change in zone of at least one area from the first flood map to the updated second flood map, wherein both designators are derived from the comparison of the first flood map to the updated second flood map. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of no change. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of a change in risk level status designation and at least one area of a change in zone designation that is not a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising demarcating a buffer area around at least one area of the one or more demarcated areas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining which of the one or more demarcated areas is associated with at least one geographic area description. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the demarcated area is associated with at least one geographic area description if at least a portion of the geographic area description crosses through the demarcated area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one geographic area description is a street segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising prioritizing the one or more demarcated areas associated with the at least one street segment, wherein prioritizing comprises: assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in risk level status designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or mare demarcated areas with a change in risk level status designation; assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in zone if the street segment is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in risk level status designation and is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in zone designation; and assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating no change if the street segment is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in risk level status designation and is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in zone designation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising prioritizing the one or more demarcated areas associated with the at least one street segment, wherein prioritizing comprises: assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating no change; assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in zone designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in zone designation; and assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in risk level status designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first flood map and the updated second flood map are Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of a change in zone designation that is not an area of a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein comparing a first flood map to an updated second flood map comprises: digitizing the first flood map and the updated second flood map; and comparing at least one digitized area of the first flood map to at least one digitized area of the updated second flood map. ### Claim 13 A system, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to: compare a first flood map to an updated second flood map, said first flood map and said updated second flood map each including flood zones and non-flood zones; and create a third flood map, wherein the third flood map includes one or more demarcated areas based on the comparison of the first flood map to the updated second flood map; wherein the one or more demarcated marking areas comprises a change designator indicating a change in risk level status of the first flood map to the updated second flood map designation and another designator indicating a change in zone of at least one area from the first flood map to the updated second flood map, wherein both designators are derived from the comparison of the first flood map to the updated second flood map. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of no change. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of a change in risk level status designation and at least one area of a change in zone designation that is not a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further executable to demarcate a buffer area around at least one area of the one or more demarcated areas. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further executable to determine which of the one or more demarcated areas is associated with at least one geographic area description. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the demarcated area is associated with at least one geographic area description if at least a portion of the geographic area description crosses through the demarcated area. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one geographic area description is a street segment. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions are further executable to prioritize the one or more demarcated areas associated with the at least one street segment, wherein prioritizing comprises: assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in risk level status designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in risk level status designation; assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in zone designation if the street segment is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in risk level status designation and is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in zone designation; and assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating no change if the street segment is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in risk level status designation and is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in zone designation. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions are further executable to prioritize the one or more demarcated areas associated with the at least one street segment, wherein prioritizing comprises: assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating no change; assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in zone designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in zone designation; and assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in risk level status designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the first flood map and the updated second flood map are Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of a change in zone designation that is not an area of a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein comparing a first flood map to an updated second flood map comprises: digitizing the first flood map and the updated second flood map; and comparing at least one digitized area of the first flood map to at least one digitized area of the updated second flood map. ### Claim 25 A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to: compare a first flood map to an updated second flood map, said first flood map and said updated second flood map each including flood zones and non-flood zones; and create a third flood map, wherein the third flood map includes one or more demarcated areas based on the comparison of the first flood map to the updated second flood map; wherein the one or more demarcated marking areas comprises a change designator indicating a change in risk level status of the first flood map to the updated second flood map and another designator indicating a change in zone of at least one area from the first flood map to the updated second flood map, wherein both designators are derived from the comparison of the first flood map to the updated second flood map. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of no change. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of a change in risk level status designation and at least one area of a change in zone designation that is not a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the program instructions are further executable to demarcate a buffer area around at least one area of the one or more demarcated areas. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the program instructions are further executable to determine which of the one or more demarcated areas is associated with at least one geographic area description. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the demarcated area is associated with at least one geographic area description if at least a portion of the geographic area description crosses through the demarcated area. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the at least one geographic area description is a street segment. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the program instructions are further executable to prioritize the one or more demarcated areas associated with the at least one street segment, wherein prioritizing comprises: assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in risk level status designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in risk level status designation; assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in zone designation if the street segment is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in risk level status designation and is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in zone designation; and assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating no change if the street segment is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in risk level status designation and is not associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with the change in zone designation. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the program instructions are further executable to prioritize the one or more demarcated areas associated with the at least one street segment, wherein prioritizing comprises: assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating no change; assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in zone designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in zone designation; and assigning the at least one street segment an identifier indicating change in risk level status designation if the street segment is associated with at least one demarcated area of the one or more demarcated areas with a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 34 (depends on 25) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the first flood map and the updated second flood map are Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). ### Claim 35 (depends on 25) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein one or more demarcated areas comprise at least one area of a change in zone designation that is not an area of a change in risk level status designation. ### Claim 36 (depends on 25) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein comparing a first flood map to an updated second flood map comprises: digitizing the first flood map and the updated second flood map; and comparing at least one digitized area of the first flood map to at least one digitized area of the updated second flood map.