NGA Makes Imagery of Midwest Flooding Available to the Public

June 24, 2008

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with unclassified commercial imagery of the recently flooded areas of the American Midwest, and is also providing public access to some of the images.

The relevant imagery is accessible by the general public and is hosted on NGA's crisis response portal, NGA Earth. FEMA, a component agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has been appointed as the lead federal agency for the flood crisis and in that role is supported by NGA.

The NGA Earth site is updated as new images are made available. In addition to the information hosted at this location, the site provides links to other federal agency sites, and is an access point to leverage other NGA geospatial expertise and products.

Originally established in response to Hurricane Katrina, the NGA-Earth site uses the Internet to provide the public a single entry point for locating unclassified geospatial information in the event of a disaster or crisis. The site is also a means to communicate critical information to first responders, as well as to allow the public the ability to broadly assess property damage without having to physically return.

In addition to the images, NGA has also provided geospatial intelligence products to FEMA, the U.S. Northern Command, and other government agencies. The products have included graphics of major infrastructure such as the location of airports, hospitals, police and fire stations, emergency operations centers, hazardous material locations, highways, and schools. The products have also included damage assessments. These types of products assist first responders and those coordinating relief efforts. The graphics also provide a common operating picture that helps enable local, state, and federal government elements to work effectively together.

Bookmark it: digg propeller del.icio.us technorati yahoo facebook

Add Comment