ESRI's Web Mapping Application Provides In-Depth Geographic Information for Areas Affected by Hurricane Katrina; Emergency Responders and the Public Can Search by Address or Zoom to an Area and Access Continuously Updated, Detailed Data and Maps.

REDLANDS, Calif. -- A new Web application, the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Viewer, is now available from ESRI to provide detailed information about areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The site allows the public, emergency responders, relief organizations, and others to locate an address or zoom to areas of interest and view areas declared "damaged" by FEMA, affected delivery areas for the U.S. Postal Service, post-disaster satellite imagery, population density, street maps, and much more information. Visitors can also generate reports about people, housing, and businesses in the affected areas. The application is available online at http://arcweb.esri.com/sc/hurricane_viewer.

Deployed by ESRI using its ArcWeb Services technology and data products, the online mapping application was designed to provide people with continuously updated information to help them respond to the changing conditions of impacted areas.

"In a time of crisis, especially one with such an enormous impact as Hurricane Katrina, updated information is an invaluable resource," said Jack Dangermond, president, ESRI. "The goal is to make it as easy as possible for anyone to get information for their area of interest and to gain a better understanding of what's happening on the ground."

Any interested person may locate available information using the viewer. In addition to requesting and viewing maps online, visitors are able to access and download printable maps or digital displays that can be inserted into other documents such as PowerPoint(TM) presentations. Visitors can also customize maps with the types of information they would like to see or by adding their own points of interest. As the response to the hurricane progresses over time, or as new hurricanes arise, the application will evolve to support changing needs and requests.

"We hope this application helps people get answers to their questions," said Deane Kensok, ArcWeb Services operations manager, ESRI. "We'll continually refine and extend the data and mapping functionality so that people across the country and around the world understand in greater detail the impact of what has happened and how things are progressing."

The Hurricane Katrina Disaster Viewer went live Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005, and will remain available indefinitely in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The data presented in the viewer is provided directly by public and commercial organizations such as FEMA and the U.S. Postal Service. ESRI would like to extend special thanks to GlobeXplorer (www.globexplorer.com), Tele Atlas (www.teleatlas.com) and Meteorlogix (www.meteorlogix.com) for the data they provided.

About ESRI

Founded in 1969, ESRI is the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI software is used in all 200 of the largest cities in the United States and in more than 60 percent of counties and municipalities nationwide. With headquarters in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 2,000 business partners. ESRI's goal is to develop comprehensive tools that enable users to efficiently manage, use, and serve geographic information to make a difference in the world around them. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. ESRI can be found on the Web at www.esri.com.

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