MCEER/NHRAIC Response to Hurricane Charley: Collection of Satellite-Reference Building Damage Information in the Aftermath of Hurricane Charley

Abstract

This field campaign was undertaken in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley. It presented the research team with a unique opportunity to collect perishable damage survey data that will support subsequent research aimed at improving the effectiveness of disaster response activities using satellite remote sensing technology. This preliminary report provides a brief overview of the field study sites, together with satellite imagery that was available. It goes on to document damage survey activities that were conducted, together with the methodologies and sampling strategies employed for data collection. A summary is given of the resulting data sets, and a selection of illustrative examples presented, which were extracted using the MCEER-funded D-VRS (Virtual Reconnaissance System) system. The report concludes with a list of key findings and lessons learned.