Applications in GIS, Lab 3: Tsunami

This week in lab, we continued working with natural hazards, however, turned our focus on Tsunami's and their large amount of destruction.  We centered our attention on the March 11th tsunami that struck Japan due to a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.  If you remember, it caused severe damage to the Fukushima Power Plant facility.  Because the power plants cooling systems were knocked out, it created the possibility of nuclear radiation leaks.  It was recommended that you evacuate if you were located within 50-miles of the plant.

Cities that needed to be evacuated after the March 11, 2011 tsunami in Japan.

Based on the information provided and the map (above) created, there were several cities that fell within that range.  The evacuation zones were broken down into different mile increments: 3, 7, 15, 30, 40 & 50.

In this lab, we created a geodatabase, which can help keep data organized amidst potential chaos.  In the actual event of a natural hazard and the above information needs to be produced and distributed in a timely manner, it is key to know where you're data is.