UAV + SURVEYING
The Drone2Map software for UAS inspections assisted the county in rapid assessment of storm-damaged areas. This imagery was compared to previously collected imagery to identify infrastructure damage and the impact of the storm on sites such as Davenport Pond, shown here. Photo: courtesy of Columbia County, Ga.
was a no-brainer,” Howard said. “Cityworks’ capabilities allowed for other agencies to view data on a map in real time, while the software’s Storeroom proved invaluable in tracking resources between shelters, storage facilities, and deliveries.” Eyeing the storm Columbia County implemented its first Cityworks Asset Management System (AMS) in 2012 for its Water Utility Department. Howard said the county started small, with only 20 user accounts, but Cityworks has now been deployed to eight departments with 161 users on board. “Improved efficiency, the ability to track work activities and costs, as well as providing a common interface for the county administration’s access to real-time events has drawn other departments toward the implementation of this technology,” Howard said. In the first quarter of 2016, the county’s Roads and Bridges division implemented Cityworks; and an earlier implementation for Traffic Engineering and Storm Water Utility was overhauled to a completely mobile solution. Also, in early 2017, the EMA implemented Cityworks. That timing was fortuitous. In April, after the county started its disaster preparedness plan and a few months before Hurricane Irma came to be, the region was hit by a strong line of thunderstorms that included high winds and tornadic activity. The severe weather event provided an opportunity for the county’s GIS Department and the EMA to test and refine the toolset. Howard said, due to this spring storm, improvements were made in Cityworks’ Storeroom inventory, task management, the Operations Dashboard, as well as in service request and work order monitoring. “Esri Web Apps and ArcGIS Online (AGOL) maps were also developed
Disaster preparation and recovery County uses GIS-centric data management plan to weather Hurricane Irma. By Ryan Butler, GISP
How municipalities prepare for natural disasters has become much more than distributing sandbags, providing emergency shelter, and assembling personnel and services to assist those in need. Although these remain vital to the response process, the coordination of preparation, assistance, and recovery has been made more efficient and effective through the application of GIS data. Columbia County, Ga., saw the benefits of a new GIS-centric emergency response system when Hurricane Irma stormed into town in September 2017. In spring 2017, just months before the disaster struck, County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Andy Leanza had the vision to develop a system of record that could be utilized for emergencies. Mary Howard, Columbia County’s GIS department manager, said the county used software tools already at the county’s disposal to centrally manage data, immediately coordinate multiple needs, and work as a team to serve those affected by the disaster. “The combination of using Esri’s ArcGIS platform and Cityworks for the robust asset management capabilities and activity monitoring
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csengineermag.com
february 2018
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