Mapping technology speeds relief effort of state emergency management organisation in New York state during ice storm '98
Mark Gunn
Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Maplnfo Corporation
Eleven counties in the northern part of New York State were devastated when a severe ice storm struck on January 5, 1998. The ice storm left 120,000 households without power in rural counties. The Governor directed the implementation of the State Disaster Preparedness Plan and authorized the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) to lead the relief effort, mobilizing all agencies involved in transportation, state police, the New York Army National Guard, the Power Authority and the Department of Environmental Conservation. By January 9th, the Governor said the response could top that of the Blizzard of 1993 when 9,000 people were mobilized.
Almost immediately after the storm hit, MapInfo volunteered its services. Based in upstate New York, Maplnfo was able to work directly at the SEMO command post to assist in two key areas. Using its mapping software and data supplied by the major utilities, Maplnfo identified the position and location of the houses and the population numbers left powerless by the storms. This information was updated twice a day, giving a clear picture of where the next priority was. Maplnfo was used to identify line of sight for placing emergency cell towers in two counties where all lines of communications had become overloaded, leaving them with virtually no communications.
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