The immense destructive forces of hurricanes threaten U.S. residents along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts during the late summer and fall of each year. While hurricanes are perhaps best known for the destructive winds that classify their intensity, the floodwaters associated with the initial storm surge and subsequent heavy rains inland pose the greatest danger along the paths of these storms.

State and local governments are responsible for developing and implementing disaster preparedness plans in response to the threat of hurricanes. In Texas, the Governor's Division of Emergency Management (DEM) (www.tdps.state.tx.us/dem) has the responsibility for actions taken before, during and after the landfall of a hurricane along the Texas Gulf Coast. A major part of the EOSDIS and Texas Data Products Synergy project is to make new, valuable information available to the DEM in a timely manner to assist in disaster management for mitigation, response and recovery.

The assistance will take several forms:

1. storm surge modeling and inland flood modeling of potential areas of inundation.
2. meteorological satellite image analysis of developing storms.
3. preparation of base image and elevation data using satellite remote sensing and airborne LIDAR systems.
4. GIS base data theme compilation, including transportation, hydrographic features and elevation contours for the entire coastal region.
5. near real-time satellite imagery reception, file formatting, and data delivery during an emergency.
6. analysis of satellite and aerial reconnaissance imagery for search and recovery and damage assessment after hurricane landfall.

The Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) has experience in providing assistance to the DEM during times of emergency. Recent events include the flashfloods associated with Tropical Storm Charlie in the summer of 1998, the Guadalupe and San Marcos River floods during October 1998, and the landfall of Hurricane Bret along the coast of South Texas on August 22, 1999.