Collection and Preliminary Analysis of Aerial and In-Field Building Damage Information in the Aftermath of the 2007 California Wildfires

Keywords: Remote sensing.  Residential areas.  California.  Damage detection.  Post-disaster damage assessments.  Data collection.  Wildfires.  Distribution.

Abstract: This field campaign, undertaken in the aftermath of the 2007 California Wildfires, presented the research team with a unique opportunity to collect perishable damage data on neighborhood and per-building levels, focusing on affected urban environments throughout Southern California.  The type of surveying undertaken is particularly useful for post-disaster damage assessment and also creates a compelling baseline dataset for examining change and recovery in the future.  Further, the data collected is useful for re-insurance loss estimation, as well as research on engineering and planning more resilient communities.