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Digital images of the North Carolina outer banks were made
available to NCDOT staff soon after Hurricane Isabel had passed
through the area. It was important for them to see exactly
how badly highway NC 12 had been affected.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) plans,
directs, constructs, maintains and operates the second largest
state-maintained transportation system in the United States,
which includes aviation, ferry, rail, and highway systems.
Image acquisition and analysis is an important part of the
organization's operations, and when natural disasters occur
it is essential to obtain aerial images of the affected areas
as quickly as possible to allow for rapid remedial action.
When Hurricane Isabel's impending landfall was identified
as the North Carolina coastline, several state agencies including
the NCDOT required aerial imagery as soon as possible, so
that damage analysis could begin. The NCDOT were particularly
interested in highway NC 12 which runs from Ocracoke to Corolla
on the outer banks. Soon after Isabel had passed through the
area the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
had an aircraft in the air over the North Carolina coast.
Rapid Response Airborne Survey
"Two hours after the aircraft had landed
high-resolution color digital imagery was in the
hands of the NOAA staff."
NOAA Representative
Remote Sensing Research & Development NOAA
NOAA was using the DSS to perform research aimed at developing
standards and specifications for digital image acquisition
by service providers, while simultaneously evaluating disaster
response capabilities. An ideal tool for 3D photogrammetric
mapping, feature identification and image analysis, the DSS
can be installed and operational in under an hour, the mission
flown and the digital image files downloaded and available
for examination in a fraction of the time normally associated
with this type of airborne operation.
Two hours after the aircraft had landed high-resolution color
digital imagery was in the hands of the NOAA staff. With quick
data download the georeferenced images were made available
to the NCDOT within a matter of hours. The rapid turnaround
and delivery capability of the DSS was made very apparent
when compared to the timelines generated using standard film,
with all its developing, printing and quality control delays.
Rapid response digital imaging has made a tremendous difference,
with image data now accessible in a matter of hours instead
of days.
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