GPS World

Tag: Hurricane Irma

  • TCarta delivers surface models for Caribbean disaster recovery

    TCarta, a global provider of marine geospatial products, has delivered pre- and post-disaster surface models for the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda for use in Hurricane Irma recovery efforts.

    The satellite-derived surface models contain seamless datasets of onshore elevation and offshore water-depth measurements for each island.

    The United Kingdom government commissioned the Hurricane Irma disaster mapping for Antigua and Barbuda as part of the Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme. TCarta won a competitive tender, which specifically requested end products derived from satellite imagery.

    “By specifying satellite-derived data as the deliverable in its tender, the U.K. government acknowledged the speed and cost advantages this technology offers compared with traditional shipborne surveying or airborne lidar collection,” said TCarta CEO David Critchley.

    Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean in September 2017. The governments of Antigua and Barbuda requested accurate data for onshore land elevations and offshore water depths from before and after the storm hit.

    The datasets will be used in digital change detection analyses to determine how Irma altered the surfaces of the land and seafloor. This will be vital information in repairing onshore drainage systems and updating coastal navigation charts.

    “A seamless onshore-offshore dataset is crucial for the hydrographic computer modeling to accurately visualize the integrated nature of the dynamic terrestrial and near-shore environments,” Critchley said.

    For the seafloor dataset, the TCarta team generated satellite-derived bathymetry products by extracting accurate water-depth measurements from high-resolution multispectral imagery acquired by the DigitalGlobe WorldView satellites. In the clear Caribbean waters around Antigua and Barbuda, bathymetric points were delivered on a 2-meter spacing to deeper than 20 meters.

    The TCarta team created digital surface models of the terrain on Antigua and Barbuda, using a technique to derive surface elevations at 0.5-meter point spacing from multiple WorldView images captured over the islands. Vegetation was then removed from surface models to yield bare-Earth elevation models.

    TCarta delivered the high-quality before-and-after datasets to the UK government which in turn distributed them to scientists on Antigua and Barbuda for damage assessment and planning for the coming hurricane season.

  • Examining silver linings in GPS amidst natural disasters

    Examining silver linings in GPS amidst natural disasters

    Illustration courtesy of USA Today.

    Here in the U.S., this past summer saw an unprecedented number of emergency situations. Hurricanes blasted Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, leaving people stranded and without power, while wildfires ravaged the west.

    So far this year, 15 separate weather and climate disasters have each caused at least $1 billion in damages in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), meaning, 2017 could tie 2011 for the most billion-dollar disasters. The USA Today chart shows those events.

    In Oregon where I live, we experienced unprecendented smoky skies from wildfires — the hazardous air quality affected the health of many.

    The silver lining? Growing expertise in the fields of disaster response, mapping, location awareness, UAVs and imagery. We continue to improve our ability to respond to disasters, such as with Waze traffic alerts for wildfire evacuations and UAVs that bring a virtual doctor to a crisis scene along with medicine. We use state-of-the-art technology to learn more about how, why and when disasters happen with tools such as UAVs that penetrate the mysteries of active hurricanes.

  • In Hurricane Irma’s wake, EagleView captures imagery of property damage

    Post-Irma hurricane damage is captured in aerial imagery by EagleView.
    Post-Irma hurricane damage is captured in aerial imagery by EagleView.

    EagleView Technologies has captured post event aerial imagery of two million properties in the state of Florida following Hurricane Irma.

    EagleView is a provider of aerial imagery and property data analytics for government agencies, insurance carriers and other private-sector organizations,

    With an image library dating back to 2002 in the state of Florida, EagleView is able to provide emergency services, public safety agencies, property assessors and county GIS departments with ample imagery from before and after Hurricane Irma occurred. Combining high-resolution imagery and advanced machine learning capabilities, EagleView can identify the severity of property damage following a hurricane or other extreme weather event.

    “Hurricane Irma inflicted severe damage on properties all over Florida and affected millions of people throughout the state,” said EagleView President Rishi Daga. “With a view of more than two million properties in Florida, we are assisting the agencies that use our imagery with their efforts, so they can continue to help all of those who have been affected.”

    The two million properties have been photographed via specialized camera rigs in fixed-wing aircraft. The images are taken from an orthogonal (top-down) perspective as well as at oblique angles from all four cardinal directions. Oblique aerial imagery enables insurance claims adjusters to view all sides of a home’s exterior and gives emergency response crews greater insight into the storm’s effects in their communities.

    “Our goal was to begin capturing and processing imagery as soon as possible to assist in recovery efforts, and we have done so at record speed,” said Jay Martin, Senior Vice President of Operations at EagleView. “Our next phase is to put boots on the ground and complete property inspections up close using drones as part of our EagleView OnSite solution.”

    Post-hurricane image capture and processing will continue to take place throughout the upcoming weeks.

    EagleView is completing the phase of image capture via fixed-wing aircraft and will soon move in to completing property inspections with the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), bringing post-event data directly to insurance claims adjusters.

    As of Sept. 18, thousands of drone inspections have been scheduled through Friday, Sept. 22.

  • EagleView capturing Hurricane Irma imagery to speed response

    EagleView capturing Hurricane Irma imagery to speed response

    EagleView Technologies is actively flying to acquire post-storm imagery in Florida following Hurricane Irma. With more than 20 planes staged or in the air, EagleView is continuously capturing high-resolution aerial imagery to enable rapid assessment and response to Hurricane Irma relief efforts.

    EagleView is a provider of aerial imagery and property analytics for the government, insurance and commercial sectors.

    Using both fixed-wing aircraft and drones, EagleView imagery supports post-hurricane insurance claims adjusting, property assessment, public safety and land surveying professionals.

    “With these hurricanes affecting so many Americans, we’re putting our planes in the air as soon as possible to begin the image capture process,” said EagleView President Rishi Daga. “From our unique high-resolution post-event imagery to our industry-leading machine learning capabilities, EagleView’s technology can massively accelerate recovery efforts and because of this, we find it crucial to take flight immediately once permitted into the airspace.”

    EagleView’s historical image library, dating back to 2002 in Florida, offers insurance carriers, first responders, non-profit organizations and local government agencies the ability to analyze the impact of the storm on homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure by comparing previously captured imagery with the latest post-event images.

    Image capture and processing post-Hurricane Irma will take place continuously over several weeks, with EagleView making constant updates to its nearly four-petabyte imagery and data library.

    “We have access to an impressive amount of resources in Florida and the surrounding areas, allowing us to provide the largest post-storm image capture capabilities to our clients,” said Jay Martin, senior vice president of operations for EagleView. “Our team is working around the clock to deliver imagery to those who need it most following these devastating weather events.”

    EagleView is capturing varying types of aerial imagery throughout Florida. This includes its ultra-high-resolution (UHR) imagery, also known as Reveal imagery, which is the highest resolution aerial imagery available on the market today.

  • Remote Geosystems UAV software free for hurricane work

    To assist with Hurricane Harvey and Irma emergency response and damage assessments efforts, Remote GeoSystems is donating LineVision software licenses to official agency, volunteer and non-profit drone operators.

    In addition to supporting a Texas A&M team responding to Harvey, LineVision is being pre-deployed to volunteers organized by Florida State University’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program to help with the Hurricane Irma search and rescue and damage assessment.

    Any other volunteer teams, first responders and non-profit organizations providing essential response and recovery services are encouraged to complete the contact form to request free copies of LineVision software for disaster relief efforts.

    LineVision lets emergency response teams easily map drone video of Hurricane Harvey damage assessments. (Image: Remote Geosystems)
    LineVision lets emergency response teams easily map drone video of Hurricane Harvey damage assessments. (Image: Remote Geosystems)

    The LineVision solution is a commercial software suite for UAV, airborne and terrestrial mobile inspection and survey projects requiring geo-referenced video playback, analysis, collaboration and reporting using standard Esri maps and data, Esri ArcMap and Google Earth GIS applications.

    Using the software, anyone with a GPS-enabled video camera, drone or geospatial DVR that can geotag video in the proper format can immediately load their videos and photos to Esri ArcGIS and Google Earth along with compatible geospatial data.

    As the video plays, a position marker moves along an aerial or terrestrial GPS track positioned on a map, continuously indicating where the current frames were recorded. Users may also geospatially “navigate” a video recording by simply clicking a single point along an aerial or terrestrial GPS track.

    The video then automatically advances to that point in the recording so that users can visually interpret what was recorded at that specific place and time. If something of interest is detected in the video, users may also “snap” an image from the video, which is geotagged and saved for future analysis.

    In addition to video, users can import photos and documents from disaster survey and assessment projects. All these imported data types can be saved in a Remote GeoSystems “geoProject” file for data portability, reporting and future analysis in other versions of LineVision desktop, cloud and server applications.

    Help with Harvey

    Remote GeoSystems was contacted by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR), who was deployed with the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management.

    All parties involved moved quickly, and within a few hours after being contacted, drone video data collection teams were using various versions of the company’s donated LineVision video and photo mapping software to map and view interactive UAV flight tracks with corresponding videos in Esri ArcGIS and Google Earth GIS software.

    The software is being used to help visualize, distribute and share the data available from a record 119 UAS flights that CRASAR conducted over 11 days, including 61 flights on a single day.

    “We first learned about Remote GeoSystems’ LineVision software for mapping geotagged video from drones about a year ago, and at that time even did a proof of concept demo for the USCG and first responders,” said Justin Adams, Air Operations Branch Director for Fort Bend County Manned/Unmanned Ops and CRASAR director of operations for Harvey.  “Now with the Texas Gulf Coast facing a long and difficult assessment and recovery process and Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida, it became clear now was the time to deploy this valuable UAV solution to operators and volunteers working the affected areas.

    “I have been involved in manned and unmanned aviation for the better part of two decades and Remote Geo offers not only the simplest, but most complete solution for rapid geospatial aerial and ground-based disaster assessment and reporting in the industry.”

    Key Features of LineVision

    • Play videos from single and multi-camera data collection platforms
    • “Click-on-Map” video navigation
    • Set a custom geo-fence around the moving position marker
    • Load Esri ArcGIS or Google Earth-compatible geospatial data files
    • Save video and photo work as geoProjects for simple project reporting, archive and search
  • Hurricane Irma prep gets boost from Esri resource catalog

    Hurricane Irma prep gets boost from Esri resource catalog

    Esri has published a Hurricane Irma Resource Catalog in advance of the Category 4 hurricane cutting through the Caribbean islands on its path toward Florida.

    The catalog features read-to-use applications compiled by the Esri Disaster Response Program (EDRP). EDRP is an around-the-clock service that helps with monitoring events online, discovering useful content, augmenting software and obtaining assistance from Esri experts.

    To see the track of the hurricane, Esri provides its hurricane map.

    Resources include:

    • Hurricane Public Information Map (PIM)
    • Hurricane Impact Summary
    • Hurricane Force Wind Impact Summary
    • Storm Surge and Flooding
    • Storm Surge Inundation
    • Hurricane Evacuation Zones
    • Waze Alerts – Hurricane Irma
    • Florida 511 – Real-Time Traffic Information
    • Hurricane Irma Photo Story Map
    • Airport and Port Status
    • NOAA Real-Time Coastal Observations
    • Florida Division of Emergency Management Open Data
    Waze alerts light up Florida highways as people evacuate. (Image: Esri)