BB reader Shawn is among several who've written in to suggest that Google Earth could be used to collaboratively analyze aerial image data for Katrina damage zones, and map out which areas have been flooded, how badly.
Part of the idea here is to help residents who've been displaced. They want to know if their homes are flooded, but can't get direct ground survey reports because, well, there is no ground in a lot of places right now. Only water.
Shawn says:
I'm trying to get people who use Google Earth to start making image overlays of all the flood images that are out there.
Here's one that I did earlier to demonstrate: Link.
The one I did isn't great, but it works. If enough people do these, a better understanding of the damage is in New Orleans could be reached. Making an overlay in Google Earth is pretty easy:
File
> Add
> Image OverlayEnter a URL of a Filename of the image.
It will load, then you just drag and drop, reshape and mold, the image over the top of the picture Google earth has of the object.
If these folks put it on the keyhole bbs, other google earth users can add them together, and peer edit the others.
Link to this experiment, and Link to Google Earth.
Blogger and BB reader Kathryn Cramer has an interesting post on her blog exploring this same topic: Link (there are many updates on her post since this morning, when I linked to it from BB).
Another reader points to GoogleEarthHacks.com for a file with a number of flood image overlays all in one, with updates coming.
