Mapping The Devastation

There is an excellent article today from the Colorado Springs Gazette on the efforts of the Spectral Operations Resource Center of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command to continuously map the receding flood waters in New Orleans and the environmental dangers left behind by Hurricane Katrina. The group works through the night, using data from imaging satellites to produce maps and images to guide rescuers for the next day's operations. Among their tasks are determining floodwater elevations to identify which roads are passable, and identifying safe landing zones for helicopters. They also map out gas stations, petroleum plants and other environmentally hazardous locations.

The map at left is from the Gazette and is an example of the maps being produced. The different colors indicate water depths.