44 The live dashboard updated with inspection data and images while tallying the damage. Map Layers Connect Displaced Residents with Aid With SERT—and, later, FEMA—routed to Fort Lauderdale, the GIS team added yet another layer to its map—directing aid to approximately 600 displaced residents. “We had organizations contacting the city, asking how they could get in touch with people that needed their assistance,” Hogan said. “And that alone is a task that I think people take for granted sometimes.” For this, the GIS team created the Neighbor Needs Assessment survey. The city circulated flyers with a QR code, and in some places, went door to door inviting residents to respond using the app to request food, water, sundries, transportation, shelter, diapers, and other necessities. The city received about 800 submissions. The city manager’s office filtered the results of the survey to connect nonprofit organizations and volunteers with the residents in need. “The main thing is to understand the concentrations,” Hogan noted. “This makes it easy for people in city leadership to understand where the needs are. You know where to send the food trucks.” In the aftermath of the unprecedented rainfall and devastating floods, the resilience and collaborative efforts of the Fort Lauderdale community shone through. From the tireless work of the fire department and GIS team to the swift response of the SERT and FEMA, these professionals rallied together to assess the damage, provide aid to displaced residents, and begin the process of recovery.
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