Katrina Relief Mission – Third Deployment

URISA’s GISCorps was contacted by Washington Parish 911 in Southeast Louisiana to assist with map production for FEMA and other agencies involved with Hurricane Katrina recovery. The volunteer for this project is working remotely, from her office in Washington, DC.

Third Deployment (remote work for Washington Parish (LA) 911

Sara Szapolsky, AARP, Washington, DC

Report from Sara:

I have now passed on the finished map layers, workspaces, and a couple of sample .pdf files to James Coleman down in Louisiana. This was a pretty straightforward, if very labor intensive task, though the approximation of 40 hours was just about right.

I sent the first sample layouts down last week and I worked with the contact down there on style revisions etc. The finished maps are attached and my note is below.

I hope that this work is of some help to the people down there who are organizing the recovery and working to resuscitate their communities.

I want to thank GISCorps for giving me a way to use my admittedly rather obscure skills* to help some people when they need it most. (*Admit it, you never heard the phrase “When the going gets tough, the tough call Geographers.”)

Best wishes, SZap

Accolades from Washington Parish:

Franklinton, (10/18/05) – URISA’s GISCorps volunteer Sarah Zapolsky working from her home in Washington, DC, has completed her assignment to prepare color maps of Washington Parish capable of being printed for use by emergency responders and hurricane recovery personnel. Sara is a full time professional with AARP. These maps are based on field work by the District’s mapping specialist.

We are in the process of getting your maps printed…Good Job !!

In addition, we are going to overlay your label file onto military aerial photography in the next week or so. Meanwhile to speed up distribution to the public, we have placed them on our web site at: WPCDE-911

Will finish my education this week of how you did them…I’m slow, so give me time…

Jim Coleman, Washington Parish Communications District