—Kristopher Lander, NOAA NWS
The National Weather Service Storm Damage Survey System is a solution for collecting, storing and processing storm damage data into graphics or GIS enabled content for public users. The experimental system consists of a GPS-enabled laptop application, an enterprise GIS server and a FLEX user interface designed for development of public products. This system was tested at 17 National Weather Service field offices during the 2009 storm season. Results from the test demonstrate the benefits of the technology over more traditional survey practices: a reduction in time required to collect perishable storm damage data, consistent data collection techniques, enhanced geospatial accuracy and faster development/delivery of public products.