Climate Value at Risk API: HAZUS & JRC Damage Curves via REST
Integrate building-level damage estimation into your applications. 196 HAZUS curves for US buildings, JRC curves for 214 countries, batch up to 5,000 per request.
How the Climate Value at Risk API Works
Three steps to integrate flood damage estimation into your platform using peer-reviewed FEMA HAZUS and JRC depth-damage curves.
Send Request
POST building details to the estimation endpoint: flood depth, occupancy type, HAZUS parameters (stories, basement, flood zone, replacement value), and JRC parameters (country, floor area).
Dual Estimation
HAZUS and JRC models run independently. Each response includes transparency flags showing defaults applied, fallback curves used, and clamped depth boundaries.
Parse Response
Receive structured JSON with damage ratios, monetary losses, curve metadata, and source attribution for both HAZUS and JRC models.
API Features
Single & Batch
Estimate one building or up to 5,000 in a single API call. Portfolio-level climate value at risk analysis in one request.
33 Occupancy Types
Full HAZUS taxonomy covering residential (12 types), commercial (10), industrial (6), and institutional buildings with story-specific curves.
214 Countries
JRC provides country-specific maximum damage values and continental depth-damage curves across 6 building sectors with uncertainty bounds.
Transparency Flags
Every response documents defaults applied, fallback curves used, and clamped depths. Full audit trail for regulatory compliance.
Endpoints
Single Estimate
POST /api/v1/damage/estimate/ { "depth_ft": 4.5, "occupancy": "RES1", "stories_int": "2", "basement": false, "flood_zone": "riverine", "replacement_value": 350000, "country_iso": "USA", "floor_area_m2": 185 }
Response Format
{
"status": "completed",
"hazus": {
"damage_ratio": 0.1842,
"structural_loss": 64470.00,
"contents_loss": 38325.00,
"total_loss": 102795.00,
"curve_source": "FIA",
"clamped": false
},
"jrc": {
"damage_ratio": 0.3200,
"total_loss_eur": 28416.00,
"std_dev": 0.08,
"sector": "residential",
"continent": "north_america",
"fallback_used": false
}
}
Batch Estimate
POST /api/v1/damage/batch/estimate/ { "buildings": [ { "label": "Office Tower A", "depth_ft": 3.0, "occupancy": "COM4", "stories_int": "4-7", "replacement_value": 12000000 }, // ... up to 5,000 buildings ] }
Reference: Occupancy Types
GET /api/v1/damage/occupancy-types/ // Returns all 33 HAZUS occupancy codes with descriptions and valid story groups GET /api/v1/damage/occupancy-types/RES1/ // Returns details for a specific occupancy type
Integration Use Cases
Risk Platforms
Embed climate value at risk estimation into climate risk platforms and portfolio management tools. Add flood damage quantification alongside existing hazard assessments.
Insurance Tech
Screen flood exposure for underwriting workflows and portfolio analysis. HAZUS provides US-specific building granularity, JRC covers international portfolios.
Financial Compliance
Automate TCFD and ISSB physical risk quantification at portfolio scale. Dual-model output provides auditable value at risk estimates with full source attribution.
Explore More APIs
Climate Risk API
12 physical hazards, SSP scenarios, projections to 2050. TCFD-aligned composite risk scoring via REST.
LULC API
Land cover classification with EUDR compliance scoring. Satellite-based analysis from 2020 to present.
Geocoding API
Address to coordinate conversion with quality validation. Batch up to 5,000 addresses per request.
Technical Specifications
| Base URL | https://tools.continuuiti.com/api/v1/damage/ |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Bearer token via API key |
| Format | JSON request and response |
| Single Endpoint | POST /estimate/ |
| Batch Endpoint | POST /batch/estimate/ (up to 5,000 buildings) |
| Reference Endpoint | GET /occupancy-types/ (33 HAZUS codes) |
| HAZUS Coverage | US (33 occupancy types, 3 flood zones, 196 curves) |
| JRC Coverage | Global (214 countries, 6 continents, 6 sectors) |
| Rate Limits | Per-plan (see API documentation for details) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What authentication does the Climate Value at Risk API require?
The API uses Bearer token authentication. Include your API key in the Authorization header as ‘Bearer YOUR_API_KEY’. You can obtain an API key by signing up at tools.continuuiti.com.
How many buildings can I estimate in a single batch request?
The batch endpoint accepts up to 5,000 buildings per request. Each building in the batch is estimated independently, and failures on individual buildings do not affect the rest of the batch.
What occupancy types are supported?
The API supports all 33 HAZUS occupancy types: 12 residential (RES1-RES6), 10 commercial (COM1-COM10), 6 industrial (IND1-IND6), and 5 other types (AGR1, REL1, GOV1-2, EDU1-2). Use the GET /occupancy-types/ endpoint for the full list with descriptions.
Can I use HAZUS curves for non-US buildings?
HAZUS curves are derived from US building practices and are not recommended for non-US buildings. For international buildings, use the JRC parameters (country_iso and floor_area_m2) which provide curves for 214 countries with country-specific construction costs.
How are damage ratios calculated?
Damage ratios are calculated by interpolating along published depth-damage curves. The flood depth above ground is adjusted by the first floor height, then the resulting depth-in-structure value is mapped to a damage percentage using linear interpolation between curve data points.
What is the difference between HAZUS and JRC results?
HAZUS provides separate structural and contents damage ratios using US-specific curves for 33 building types. JRC provides a combined damage ratio using global curves for 6 building sectors. They are not directly comparable: HAZUS measures structural damage only, while JRC measures combined structural and contents damage as a fraction of maximum damage.
Ready to Integrate Climate Value at Risk?
Add HAZUS and JRC flood damage estimation to your platform with a single API call.