NOAA AERIAL MAPPING ASSISTING U.S. COAST GUARD, FEMA SHOWS FLOOD WATERS RECEDING IN REGIONS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA

Sept. 12, 2005 — The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration is working closely with FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard in coordinating the response to hazardous materials in the flood waters of New Orleans and with the continuing search and rescue mission in response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (Click NOAA image for larger view of NOAA Navigational Response Team, or NRT, launch being deployed in the Port of New Orleans at the Bollinger shipyard, which is being used to survey the regions struck by Hurricane Katrina. Please credit “NOAA.”)

One of the innovative technologies being applied is combining LIDAR (airborne laser used to measure topography) and aerial satellite imagery to create aerial maps of the region. NOAA is assisting in tracking the progress in removing water from the flooded areas of the region by providing aerial maps showing the progress to date.

The maps are generated using satellite imagery acquired from the Department of Defense National Geospatial Intelligence Agency combined with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data from Louisiana State University and the State of Louisiana. Research Planning Inc., a NOAA contractor, is conducting this synthesis that shows likely water depths based on the combination of data. (Click NOAA image for larger view of flood depth estimation map for Louisiana as of Sept. 3, 2005. Click here for high resolution version. Click here to see other maps and oil spill images. Please credit “NOAA.”)

These maps show the progress in removing floodwaters from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina by comparing water levels on August 31 and September 8. Note that the water depth estimates have not been verified with measurements on the ground.

(Click NOAA image for larger view of work being done by NOAA to re-open ports along the affected regions of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Please credit “NOAA.”)

NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

NOAA Office of Response and Restoration: Reports, maps, etc.

NOAA Hurricane Katrina Emergency Hydrographic Response

Media Contact:
Ben Sherman, NOAA Ocean Service, (301) 713-3066 ext. 178