GIS for the Geo-Referenced Analysis and Rapid Dissemination of Forensic Evidence Collected in the Aftermath of the Tuscaloosa Tornado

Abstract

This study investigates the utilization of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to rapidly disseminate damage and failure mode data related to wood-frame construction collected in the aftermath of the Tuscaloosa tornado on April 27, 2011. The City of Tuscaloosa was in the direct path of a major super cell tornado that bisected the city in a south-west to north-east direction with a half mile wide destruction path. Immediately after the tornado, forensic data collection activities were conducted. Forensic evidence was collected through both active and passive modes. Active data collection occurred at specific case study sites and along transects that ran approximately perpendicular to the direction of the tornado path. Passive data collection modes captured forensic evidence as researchers moved throughout the affected area. Tracking both the time and the location of field activities set the basis for the fusion of the collected data. Thus, by using the time of data collection, forensic data was correlated to a geo-location in full-day GPS track logs and uploaded in a GIS web portal. The web portal enabled 1) the geo-referenced analyses of the collected data, and 2) the rapid dissemination of the forensic evidence to the scientific community and to anyone with an internet connection.