| GIS application is an emerging technology compared with traditional information collecting and evaluating database systems which is sorting, analyzing and also illustrating. Such information would help dealing with such incidents or even bigger disasters in a better manner. This study investigated the impact of spatial technology related telecommunications failure during the hurricane Katrina disaster. The project proposes to evaluate the utility of GIS technological applications in telecommunications, as a means in understanding the nature of disasters and managing this knowledge to solve the problems of pertinent effecting factors. The case study focused on spatial technologies performance in telecommunications in one of the most destructive disasters in New Orleans, Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina. Data on the performance breakdown of communication systems during and after the hurricane was gathered from interviews, library literature, and personal accounts. Data relating power system, telephone system, internet access, base stations, broadcast systems and emergency responders will be analyzed. The severity and utility of GIS in the geo-coding of the incidents was thoroughly analyzed, and recommendations made to help avert future disasters. |
