HOUSTON, TX — The Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT) at Texas A&M University has launched the Risk Assessment and Mapping Portal (RAMP), a new risk communication resource funded by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). RAMP is an interactive mapping tool designed to help communities develop sections of their hazard mitigation plans.
Communities across Texas face increasing disaster risks, but small and rural Texas communities often lack the technical resources and staff to complete hazard mitigation plans. Without risk assessments, these communities remain vulnerable and ineligible for federal funding to support disaster recovery. RAMP was designed to remove this barrier by empowering communities with professional-grade, compliant planning tools.
“Hazard mitigation planning can be a challenge for communities that lack GIS experts, technical staff or access to reliable risk data,” said Dr. Kayode Atoba, principal investigator for RAMP and a research scientist at Texas A&M. “Any community in Texas, regardless of size or technical capacity, can now generate federally compliant risk maps using the same quality of data as other state and federal agencies.”
RAMP made its official debut at the 2026 Texas Emergency Management Conference in Fort Worth on May 28. As one of the nation’s largest gatherings of emergency management professionals, it provided an ideal platform to introduce the tool to planners, agencies and leaders who can apply RAMP in communities throughout the state.
The tool is built on the Texas Disaster Information System (TDIS)—a comprehensive data platform funded by the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and built in partnership with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and TDEM. By integrating with TDIS, Texas’ centralized disaster data platform, RAMP provides users with access to statewide, reliable risk data through easy-to-interpret statistics and visuals.
Key capabilities of RAMP include:
- Statewide flood-loss mapping that helps identify areas of greater flood risk using decades of detailed data, extending beyond traditional FEMA floodplain boundaries.
- Multi-hazard risk analysis covering floods, hurricanes, fires, tornadoes and other major threats in Texas.
- Plan-ready maps and reports that are compliant with FEMA and TDEM hazard mitigation planning requirements.
- County and city-level risk profiles combining demographic snapshots, critical infrastructure (schools, hospitals, fire stations) and exportable raw datasets.
The online risk assessment tool is in its pilot phase, and IDRT plans to continue expanding RAMP’s capabilities based on user feedback and community needs. Future enhancements may include text generation for complete hazard/risk profiles, expanded analytics and additional decision-support features to further reduce the burden on those who need to evaluate and communicate risk.
“RAMP represents exactly the kind of impact-driven innovation that IDRT was created to deliver,” said Dr. Sam Brody, director of IDRT and a professor at Texas A&M. “By transforming complex disaster data into practical planning tools, we’re helping communities across Texas understand and communicate their risk to build a more resilient Texas.”
RAMP is the latest decision-support tool delivered through TDIS and reflects IDRT’s commitment to turning research into knowledge and knowledge into action. It joins a growing suite of TDIS applications designed to support disaster resilience efforts across Texas.
To learn more about RAMP, visit https://ramp.cloud.tdis.io/.
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About the Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT)
The Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT) was established in 2020 by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents following legislation by the 86th Texas Legislature. With a vision for a disaster-resilient Texas, the Institute works to bridge the gap between research and decision-making. IDRT provides innovative research, data analytics, training and policy tools to help leaders, collaborators and communities better prepare for and respond to natural disasters. To learn more, visit https://idrt.tamug.edu/.
