Recent disasters have caused major flooding around the world: Houston received unprecedented rainfall in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Storm surge from Hurricane Irma inundated parts of Florida and Hurricane Maria wiped out communities in the Caribbean. Record-breaking monsoons have caused widespread death and destruction in Bangladesh and Nepal. Mudslides resulting from downpours in Sierra Leone have buried hundreds of homes. Disaster response and aid organizations worldwide are assisting with recovery efforts, but they need help to get data about the places that have been impacted.
You can help directly by mapping the locations of buildings and roads viewed from satellite imagery of affected areas before the disaster. When compared to post-event imagery, the data on the maps can help organizations like the US Agency for International Development, the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and many other humanitarian units identify the best locations for shelters, estimate affected numbers of people, and to assess the dollar value of the damage. It also helps them create plans for long term recovery efforts. The software to map is easy to use and can be learned quickly.
Sponsored by YouthMappers at Texas Tech University. Come learn a new tool and support communities affected by flooding around the world.
Free training. Free pizza.