Data-Driven Disaster Response

“We want data to be accurate and not just immediate,” said Baton Rouge Director of Information Services Eric Romero when asked about using data to respond to disasters.

When working in disaster response, there is often both a literal storm and a storm of data, so governments must constantly apply lessons learned in order to respond better, faster, and stronger than before.

Preparedness and the systems in place to collect real-time data have allowed cities like Baton Rouge and New Orleans to serve their communities during disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, or even COVID-19. The cities leverage data from several different sources, from crowdsourcing to 311, to provide up-to-date, informative data to residents on things like open roads and where to find gasoline.

In this Southern U.S. Community of Practice conversation, Liana Elliott (New Orleans), Warren Kron (Baton Rouge), and Eric Romero (Baton Rouge) discuss the lessons they’ve learned, tools they depend on, and outlook for the future of preparing for and responding to disasters with data.

If you are facing the effects of a natural disaster and need shelter, consult the Tyler Technologies Find A Shelter Map for open FEMA shelters and Airbnb Open Homes.