Disaster Decision Support Tool (DDST): An Additional Step Towards Community Resilience

Abstract

The Disaster Research Center (DRC) at the University of Delaware (UD), with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the University of Puerto-Rico-Mayagüez Sea Grant College Program (UPRSGCP), and in collaboration with the Center for Applied Social Research (CISA-UPRM), the Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA), the University of Delaware Research and Data Management Services (RDMS), and the Ceenter for Coastal Hazards (CCH-UPRM) are pilot testing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based mapping tool. The Puerto Rico Disaster Decision Support Tool (DDST) is an Internet-based scalable mapping server for disaster planners, responders, and related officials at the municipal, emergency management, and state level. DDST offers access to a variety of geo-referenced information for all municipalities in Puerto Rico. The purpose of this manual is to provide an overview of the general capabilities of the DDST as a way to facilitate the use of the tool.