Disaster Response Services

Aerial Surveys offers disaster response services through the prioritised capture of RGBI digital imagery and LiDAR with simultaneous RGB imagery following a natural disaster or a significant event. At times like this speed of capture and delivery of data is essential for response planning. Aerial Surveys has been able to provide this information in recent events such as the Nelson Floods, Kaikoura earthquakes, Whanganui River floods, Christchurch Port Hills fires and many more. 

Imagery and LiDAR can also be used for pre-emptive disaster response planning. Geospatial data can be used to identify areas prone to flooding, hill sides prone to slips and network infrastructure and more that may be at risk during an event. 

It’s advisable to consider in advance, what Imagery and LiDAR specifications would be required in the event of a disaster. This is something ASL can help advise on. In the event of a disaster being prepared ahead of time can avoid headaches and delays in relation to capturing Imagery and LiDAR. Having a suitable emergency plan incorporating the capture of data at the time of the event is key. 

• Fly and capture of high-definition vertical stereo colour images (3D Images). 
• Fly and capture of LiDAR with optional simultaneous RGB imagery capture. 
• Ortho imagery processing for geographically accurate data that can be used for measurement, modelling and change detection. 
• LiDAR point cloud classification to identify road and utility network issues, land movement and more. 
• LiDAR point cloud analysis to provide automated change detection. 
• Identification of affected areas relating to floods, earthquakes, land slips and fires, high winds and cyclones. 
• ​Turnaround times are critical for effective response and use of emergency and recovery resources.  Data can be delivered within 1-3 days of capture depending on the scale of the area. 

• Response planning for emergency services  
• Change detection, a before and after comparisons of affected areas for emergency response, damage assessment and recovery planning 
• ​Hazard identification for planning of response resources 
• ​This data is highly valuable for insurance purposes and can usually be compared to data before any such event giving clarity to the before and after position. 

After the Nelson/Tasman floods in 2022 Aerial Surveys reached out to the Nelson City Council to offer our services. Within hours of this event terms were in place to capture imagery and LiDAR for the affected areas. The next day Aerial Surveys was capturing data. Within 24 hours Aerial Surveys provided the initial imagery so the response teams could start using the data. See below some of the imagery showing multiple land slides along Abel Tasman Drive. 

The imagery below shows a road before and after a slip. This information combined with LiDAR can be used to automate change detection, assess damage, calculate volumes of material to be removed. This information can then be used to prioritise response crews and estimate time to clear and repair roads.