USE OF GIS AND GEOSCIENCE DURING NATURAL HAZARD EMERGENCY RELIEF OPERATIONS

Use of GIS and other technologies during the initial response to natural hazards is very critical in planning emergency relief operations and controlling further damage. The purpose of this presentation is to summarize how integration of readily available technological tools and geosciences as a discipline can support response needs during natural or man-made disasters. Often during such support activities, challenges involve aligning staff members familiar with geological and hydrogeological conditions of the site area; relaying analytical or other forms of critical data collected by them that can support accurate and decisive actions are of paramount importance. For example, one of the most challenging activities performed during the hurricane responses involved the search for and recovery of orphaned containers, household hazardous waste, and electronic wastes. The storm surge transport these types of waste from commercial , industrial, and residential areas and disperse them over wide and inaccessible areas, including sensitive wetlands. The ability to organize incoming data collected by field staff using PDAs with specialized application software allow near real-time management of ongoing efforts at remote command centers and to enable rapid creation of high-quality maps. In addition, the ability to visualize plume or other trends produced by incoming data allows key decision makers to allocate and prioritize resources. Three recent high profile responses of national significance will be discussed during the presentation to share lessons learned from each event.