TTU Mapathon, September 28 @ 6PM Holden Hall 204
Recent disasters have caused major flooding around the world. Texas received unprecedented rainfall in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Storm surge from Hurricane Irma inundated parts of Florida and Hurricane Maria destroyed communities in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Record-breaking monsoons have caused widespread death and destruction in Bangladesh and Nepal. Mudslides resulting from downpours in Sierra Leone have buried hundreds of homes and the risk of flooding downstream from weakened dams is critical in Togo. Disaster response and aid organizations worldwide are assisting with recovery efforts, but they need help to get data about the places that have been impacted.
You, yes YOU! can join the crowd in crowd mapping and help directly by mapping onto OpenStreetMap the locations of buildings and roads from satellite imagery of affected areas before the disaster. When compared to post-event imagery, the data on the maps can help organizations like the US Agency for International Development, the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and many other humanitarian units identify the best locations for shelters, estimate affected numbers of people, and to assess the dollar value of the damage. It also helps them create plans for long term recovery efforts. The software to map is easy to use and can be learned quickly. Experienced mappers can learn to validate the work of others in line with the "wiki" concept.
Come learn a new tool and support communities affected by flooding around the world. Free training. Free pizza. Register on site for prizes to the top mappers and best beginner. Optional: bring your laptop and a mouse, or use our lab computers but they may fill up fast!
How did you contribute ? find out here with your OSM username
JOIN US! September 28 @ 6PM Holden Hall 204, TTU
A:Experienced OSM students please help those in F get started mapping on our main task, then you are encouraged to validate on the same task or any others open for validation here. You could also map roads in Texas with this task.
B:Experienced GIS students please get oriented to OSM and help support your beginner colleagues in C with mapping buildings only our main task in Puerto Rico, then you are encouraged to explore mapping roads in Texas with this task if you like.
C:Beginners please seek help from GIS users in your room to log into OSM and get started with TASK-A. Be sure to do the Walk-through! Thanks for bringing your laptop!
D:Experienced OSM students please help GIS users in your room log into OSM and get started with task, then we recommend you help validate the task downstream of the burst dam here. From time to time you could peek into the Map room and see if anyone needs help please!
E:Experienced GIS students please seek help from OSM users in your room and start working on TASK-A in Puerto Rico, then you are encouraged to explore mapping roads in Texas with this task if you like.
F:Beginners please seek help from Experienced OSM users in your room to log into OSM and get started with TASK-A. Be sure to do the Walk-through! Thanks for mapping!
This activity is supported by a grant from the Texas Tech University’s Quality Enhancement Plan: Communicating in a Global Society, through the Center for Global Communication. It also enjoys collaboration with YouthMappers, a program led by Texas Tech University, funded by the United States Agency for International Development GeoCenter under Award # AID-OAA-G-15-00007.
Questions? Contact PI Dr. Patricia Solís, patricia.solis@ttu.edu