| This study represents a review of existing flood response, exploration into potential improvements, and possible enhancement technologies. Research includes gathering information from individuals associated with response, searching for and testing emergent technologies, and gauging interest in possible improvements. National Weather Service and Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division staffers contribute details, unavailable through published literature, on forecast development and dissemination, and coordination of flood response in Iowa. These details help influence the design of questionnaires distributed to emergency managers and city officials. The questionnaire respondents provide a real-world base for speculation in the usefulness of map and communication technologies. Augmented Reality, spatial triggers, dynamic routing, and social media are all primary focuses of literature research and experimentation within the study. Developmental problems in Augmented Reality, spatial triggers, and dynamic routing are also described. Based on the results of this research, future work should include a focus on development of these map technologies, a survey of private citizens, and experimentation in social media. Involving private citizens is an especially important consideration due to the blurring line between data sources and outputs in forecasting, and the increasing ability of officials to provide efficacy to an information aware public. |
