Abstract
Registration & Repatriation of Disaster Evacuees: A Geospatial Approach
Track: Disaster Management and Emergency Response
Author(s): Betsi Chatham, Keith Wells, Mark Deboer
Although the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is located hundreds of miles away from the Gulf Coast, during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike many residents of Louisiana and South Texas found refuge in North Texas. The City of Fort Worth Emergency Management Office relied heavily upon geospatial technology during the response and recovery of these two disasters. The initial response involved identifying a registration hub and shelters, and then providing shelter route maps. A standardized database was then implemented to capture evacuee identification information, place of origin, special needs, and transportation requirements. The database was the foundation for successful evacuee registration, shelter assignment, and family unification. Furthermore, it was used in the recovery effort by analyzing the place of origin and transportation need statistics within a Geographic Information System to ensure an efficient repatriation process. The power of geospatial technology guaranteed the full utilization of resources during both the response and recover efforts.
Betsi Chatham
City of Fort Worth
1000 Throckmorton
Fort Worth , Texas 76102
United States
Phone: 817.392.6302
Fax: 817.392.6359
E-mail: betsi.chatham@fortworthgov.org
Keith Wells
City of Fort Worth
1000 Throckmorton
Fort Worth , Texas 76102
United States
Phone: 817.392.6177
E-mail: keith.wells@fortworthgov.org
Mark Deboer
City of Fort Worth
1000 Throckmorton
Fort Worth , Texas 76102
United States
Phone: 817.392.8598
E-mail: mark.deboer@fortworthgov.org