Social Vulnerability Index Explorer (SOVI-X)

Developer/Partners: USACE (2015)

Relevant Hazard/Threat(s): All hazards

Intent: Software that allows users to perform social vulnerability analysis.

Social vulnerability analysis is a form of geographic analysis which examines vulnerability and resiliency of populated places to hazards. It is conducted by overlaying the spatial distribution of population characteristics with hazard areas, and tallying populations and subgroups at risk by their relative vulnerabilities. SOVI-X (Social Vulnerability Index Explorer) is a Graphical User Interface data extraction and formatting framework to facilitate social vulnerability analysis. It is designed to help decision makers understand how social vulnerability characteristics and their spatial distribution can be used to better address public safety and community resiliency needs.

Inputs: SOVI-X uses US Census Bureau demographic, socioeconomic, and housing unit data, and simplifies the task of simultaneously assessing multiple profile variables by representing social vulnerability as a single numeric value, provided by census unit.
Outputs: The SoVI value for each census unit is a statistical measurement of its vulnerability in relationship to the average vulnerability of neighboring census units across a broader region, as expressed by a Z-Score. SOVI-X is a comparative metric that provides a snapshot of an area’s relative social vulnerability to hazard exposure and can be used for any hazard.