National Plan for Disaster Impact Assessments

A series of informal meetings were held, data acquisition capabilities and requirements of the interested agencies were identified, and a number of recommendations resulted. The National Plan for Disaster Impact Assessments: Weather and Water Data (NPDIA) addresses the principal recommendations by documenting the types of data required, the acquisition processes, and the coordinating procedures to be used leading up to, during, and following a significant storm event. This national plan serves as a framework for both coordination of data acquisition activities of the participating agencies during a significant event and the documentation and deposition of data and products following that event. Funding for the activities of the participating agencies is provided primarily by the individual agency's parent organization or through the Department of Homeland Security in support of one or more of the Emergency Support Functions found in the National Response Framework. The storm events addressed in this plan include land-falling tropical cyclones (hurricanes/typhoons and tropical storms), coastal extra-tropical storms (Nor'easters), severe convective outbreaks (tornadoes and windstorms), riverine and flash flooding, tsunamis, coastal and lake waves, and wind waves. The plan includes data requirements and acquisition capabilities of participating agencies, event response procedures and initiation criteria, coordination procedures, contact information, and data archival procedures. An agency response to a particular event is the responsibility of the individual agency according to its mission requirements, data needs, and available resources. This plan is a dynamic document that will be reviewed annually. The contributors to its development anticipate and expect that the plan will evolve over time to reflect changes in the missions and resources of the participating agencies, the addition of types of hazards included in the plan, and the incorporation of evolving technologies.