Newswise — Data collection tools at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are being used to support emergency response agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, during hurricanes Harvey and Irma and in preparation for Jose and Katia. The ORNL team continues their support, in real-time, as needs arise. 

LandScan USA collects population distribution data, from U.S. census figures and high-resolution satellite images, that are useful to agencies seeking real-time information for regions affected by extreme weather events and other disasters. In the case of Harvey, ORNL is providing population distribution data of the coastal counties of Texas and continues to provide updates as conditions change and the agencies’ needs evolve.

An interactive web-tool known as EAGLE-I (pronounced Eagle-EYE) is supporting emergency response teams on the ground in the Gulf Coast and Caribbean regions by locating critical energy infrastructure impacted by hurricane-force winds and flooding. Real-time data about each storm’s impact on energy critical infrastructure, including the electric grid, is giving agencies such as FEMA and state and local responders the means to plan, react, respond and aid recovery and restoration efforts efficiently.

ORNL’s Amy Rose is available to discuss LandScan, and ORNL’s Jibonananda (Jibo) Sanyal is available to discuss the EAGLE-I system.

ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for DOE’s Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit http://science.energy.gov/.