On May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, killing 162 and causing $2.2 billion in damages. Due to the broad path of the storm, professional damage assessment tools were needed to survey and report the damage. The Center for Geospatial Intelligence at the University of Missouri helped to provide those tools by using an IT application that detects changes in topography using satellite imagery. The results generated by the application helped state agencies coordinate recovery services for Joplin in a timely, streamlined fashion.
What was accomplished in Joplin is being accomplished in other disaster areas with the help of the same strategies. The application used by the Center for Geospatial Intelligence is part of a new line of tools that expedite and economize damage assessment reporting. In addition to geo coding, these tools offer the following advantages, among others:
Automated Damage Assessment Reporting
Automated damage assessment reporting reduces the need for workers and decreases human error. According to research, automating assessment reporting can increase the productivity of the reporting process by ten times, and reduce its cost by ten times as well. When it is implemented through a managed IT support provider, automated damage reporting can save organizations that routinely perform reporting thousands of dollars a year, if not more.
FEMA Damage Assessment Template
To report damage assessments to FEMA in a manner that yields a timely response, the reporter must use the FEMA reporting template. Providers of professional IT services now include the FEMA template in assessment reporting applications.
Receives Picture and Video Evidence
When it comes to understanding the scope of large-scale damage, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. By uploading visual evidence of the damage, the reporter can create a compelling case for a timely response.
Who Needs an Automated Damage Assessment Tool?
Agencies that assess the damage caused by large events such as tornados need the ability to report damage automatically, but companies that report damage caused by small events such as auto accidents can benefit from the same ability. Today, insurance agencies and corporations commonly use damage reporting applications.
Regardless of the type of damage that must be reported, an automated reporting tool helps the reporter to assess and report it quickly, in a cost effective manner, and in a way that encourages a fast response.
Conclusion
If your organization needs a better way to report damage assessments, contacting a suitable provider of professional IT services should be your next move. In addition to supplying an automated damage reporting application, the provider can help you tailor the application to your reporting process by providing managed IT support.
As the Joplin tornado demonstrated, successful damage assessment reporting depends on more than the integrity of the reporter; it also depends on the capabilities of the reporting tool. When you use an application that automates damage reporting, the timeliness and cost of the reporting process can improve dramatically, and a response to the report can be received in a shorter period.
