Pictometry captures imagery of Midwest flooding for damage assessment and rescue efforts
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Pictometry captures imagery of Midwest flooding for damage assessment and rescue efforts

ROCHESTER, NY – June 27, 2008 – Pictometry International Corp., a leading provider of georeferenced aerial image libraries, whose proprietary technology is used globally to capture oblique image libraries, has captured and delivered new aerial oblique imagery in four heavily damaged, flood-struck counties in the Midwest, all within days of the event. The image captures are part of Pictometry’s Economic Alliance Partnership (EAP), a program designed to give counties and government agencies the visual information tools they need to quickly and cost-effectively assess and manage damage assessment and rescue efforts following a federally-declared disaster.

In all, more than 3,000 square miles of imagery from flood-affected areas has been captured, including 104 square miles of imagery for Iowa City (an existing Pictometry customer located in Johnson County, IA) and the 243 square miles of the City of Cedar Rapids (an existing Pictometry Customer in Linn County, IA). In each instance, imagery was captured at the height of flood damage. Within 24 hours of capture, the imagery was processed and then, just days later, was delivered along with several seats of Pictometry Change Analysis® software, a program which enables users to compare existing (“before”) imagery with post (“after”) disaster imagery.

“We know what the 500-year flood is, but the bigger question is ‘what properties have been lost as a result of it?’” said Bill Greazel, Johnson County Assessor. “Pictometry EAP imagery gave us the best possible tool for overlaying property assessment information directly on imagery of the flood damage at its peak. With Pictometry’s EAP imagery we can now pinpoint affected areas and accurately determine the extent of damage.”

In nearby Marion and Des Moines counties, Pictometry captured an additional 700 square miles of post disaster imagery, all within 24 hours of request. Although neither county was an existing Pictometry customer at the time of request, EAP coverage for the disaster was provided as part of a new contract for Pictometry oblique imagery. The newly contracted imagery will be flown later this year and will be utilized by county GIS, assessing and 911 departments.

“Pictometry EAP imagery gives us a powerful tool when we need it the most,” said Marion County’s GIS Coordinator Bill Buttrey. “Thanks to the EAP partnership, much of the cost associated with an oblique image capture is defrayed so we can have access to valuable imagery of the damage within days.”

Pictometry is currently providing Change Analysis training and support to users in the affected counties and cities. As part of the EAP program, new imagery is deployed via the internet using Pictometry’s latest innovation – Pictometry Online ™ (POL). This technology uses the power and convenience of the internet to deploy Pictometry Intelligent Images®, enabling multiple county and city users – including 911 and emergency response professionals -- to instantly access, view and utilize imagery.

“Putting critical visual intelligence in the hands of those who need it most is what the EAP and Pictometry are all about,” said Dante Pennacchia, Pictometry’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Our fleet of aircraft is available when disaster strikes and new or existing customers need coverage.”

Pictometry’s EAP was designed to create an economic alliance between business and government. By leveraging Pictometry sales to commercial enterprises, Pictometry can defray much of the cost associated with flying new imagery and pass that savings on to government customers when they need it most. Within the past year, Pictometry has flown nine EAP image captures including coverage for tornadoes in the Southeast; flooding in the Midwest and wildfires in the West.

About Pictometry

Pictometry International Corp. is a leading provider of geo-referenced, aerial image libraries and related software. Pictometry has captured over 50 million digital aerial images in over 600 counties in the United States covering over 70 percent of the United States population. Using its proprietary imaging process, Pictometry® captures geo-referenced, high-resolution oblique (at an angle, producing a 3-D like view) and orthogonal (straight down) Intelligent Images®, within which structures and land features can be measured. Pictometry customizes and markets these technologies for government and commercial applications, offering non-traditional software solutions to aerial imaging needs. Pictometry’s imagery and software enables users to “See Everywhere, Measure Anything, Plan Everything”® using a patented digital information system. Pictometry has its headquarters in Rochester, NY and an office in Europe. Pictometry is a second order visualization tool that does not produce authoritative or definitive information (surveying) from its digital, aerial images. For more information on Pictometry, visit www.pictometry.com

Contact:

Tami Bacon, Public Relations Manager,
Pictometry International
Corp. at (585) 487-1488
Email Contact