3DEP Role in Disaster Preparation, Mitigation and Recovery
Decision-makers in government and the private sector increasingly depend on information the USGS provides before, during, and following disasters so that communities can live, work, travel, and build safely.
Partnerships to Extend Supplemental Funding
USGS Natural Hazards programs conduct assessments, pursue investigations and forecasts, provide technical assistance to respond to emergencies, and engage in outreach. All of these activities depend on a detailed and accurate understanding of the landscape. 3DEP data support a broad range of hazards applications that improve information delivered to decision-makers and the public.
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Acts of 2018, 2019, and 2022 provided funding to USGS for high-resolution elevation data collection that support recovery and rebuilding decisions in the wake of hurricanes and wildfires. Supplemental funding was leveraged with partner contributions to complete 3DEP lidar data coverage of the impacted areas.
All lidar data acquired with 2018 and 2019 supplemental funding is publicly available, free of charge and without use restrictions. Please see the 3DEP products and services page for various ways to access the data, including lidar point clouds and digital elevation models. The lidar projects acquired with 2022 supplemental funding are in progress and will be published when completed.
More on FY18 and 19 supplemental lidar data uses:
Supplemental appropriations for disaster recovery
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2018 Supplemental Appropriations Activities
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123) was signed by the President on February 9, 2018. This funding provided the USGS $42.2 million to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2017 Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and the 2017 California Wildfires.
2019 Supplemental Appropriations Activities
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157) was signed by the President on June 6, 2019. The USGS received $98.5 million to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, the Anchorage earthquake, and California wildfires.
2022 Supplemental Appropriations Activities
The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 117-43) was enacted on September 30, 2021. The USGS received $26.3 million in supplemental funding to support direct recovery and rebuilding decisions in areas affected by declared disasters—earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, and floods—that occurred between 2019 and 2021.
Typhoon Merbok Disaster Emergency Recovery Efforts
Extreme storm events, such as Extratropical-Typhoon Merbok that hit the coast of Western Alaska in September 2022, are stark reminders of the devastating impacts coastal storms can have on Alaska Native community’s livelihoods and infrastructure. A chronic lack of environmental monitoring and technical assistance in rural Alaska present major barriers to communities affected by Typhoon Merbok...
Lidar Applications for Hurricane Recovery
The Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions of the United States are recovering from the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and are at the same time vulnerable to future hurricane impacts. High-resolution elevation data are critical for hazard mitigation policies, redevelopment planning, and emergency preparedness and disaster response. High quality elevation data acquired post-Hurricane is used for disaster recovery and other needs, including assessing coastal landscape change and vulnerability; designing restoration, redevelopment, and protection projects; and predicting future hurricane storm surge, coastal and inland flooding.
Lidar Applications for Wildfire Prediction and Recovery
Lidar data are used in predicting wildfire risk, and in post-wildfire hazards analyses. For example, lidar point clouds provide 3D information about forest canopy and vegetation structure that is used to map wildfire fuel, a key risk factor for fire occurrence and intensity. Lidar-based digital elevation models (DEMs) map the local topographic conditions (elevation, slope, and aspect), which are critical components to understanding and predicting fire behavior. After wildfires occur, lidar-based DEMs are used to develop predictive models of flood and mud flow hazards that can result from steep terrain that has been stripped of vegetation. Conducting these analyses and understanding the vulnerability of communities, farms, and infrastructure to future wildfires relies on the availability of up-to-date high resolution, accurate lidar data.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area
Every year in the United States, natural hazards threaten lives and livelihoods and result in billions of dollars in damage. We work with many partners to monitor, assess, and conduct targeted research on a wide range of natural hazards so that policymakers and the public have the understanding they need to enhance preparedness, response, and resilience.