Every estimate should be inspectable.

01 · Household

Evacuation-cost planning model

The model adds the categories you enter, subtracts only the reimbursement or covered amount you enter, then compares the result with the savings you choose to dedicate. All work happens in your browser.

Illustrative defaults

The starting values are neutral scenario inputs, not a universal recommendation: 7 days; $0.70 per mile; $180 per room night; $45 per adult and $30 per child per day for food. They are intentionally visible and editable. They are not claims about what every household will spend.

02 · Business

Temporary-closure cash model

Lost contribution is used instead of counting all unavailable revenue as cash need. Costs that continue, continuing payroll, and one-time response costs are added separately to avoid double counting.

This is not a valuation of total business loss, a cash-flow forecast, tax guidance, or an insurance interpretation.

03 · Community

Economic Preparedness Pressure Index

The index is the equal-weight average of eight percentile ranks calculated separately among all California census tracts and among tracts within the selected county: median household income (direction reversed), poverty, renter share, people age 65+, disability prevalence, households without a vehicle, limited-English-speaking households, and households without internet access.

Missing components are omitted and the component count is retained. No imputed values are presented. Hazard is not included in the index; it remains a separate CAL FIRE layer.

Why percentiles?

Percentiles put indicators with different units on a common 0–100 scale. Statewide ranks show relative position among California tracts; within-county ranks show local relative position. Neither is absolute need. A one-point difference should not be treated as meaningful.

Margins of error

ACS tract estimates are samples with margins of error. The dashboard flags median-income estimates when the published margin of error exceeds 20% of the estimate. This quick flag does not replace reviewing the margin of error for every component.

04 · Limits

Known gaps and uncertainty

• Calculator results depend entirely on user inputs and simplified scenarios.
• Costs can change quickly and differ by household, location, accessibility needs, season, and market availability.
• ACS estimates describe tracts, not individuals; sampling error is material at small geographies.
• The CAL FIRE overlay is simplified for web display and should not be used for parcel decisions.
• The dashboard does not yet include FEMA’s updated resilience dataset while the post-NRI distribution and field mapping are revalidated.
• The index has not been validated for funding, eligibility, underwriting, or emergency operations.

05 · Change log

Method changes

August 6, 2026 · v1.0. Initial household and business formulas; 2020–2024 ACS estimates; 2024 tract geometry; combined SRA 2024 and LRA 2025 FHSZ display; equal-weight pressure index.

August 6, 2026 · v1.1. Standardized calculator field units and formatting; added optional browser-only saved scenarios, complete print-plan details, feedback and correction pathway, and an owner-reviewed county-resource registry. No calculator formula or community-index methodology changed.

Questions and suspected errors can be submitted through the Report an issue. Confirmed corrections are tested before release and recorded here or on the data-source page.