A Blueprint for CAP-Based Alerting Systems

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A Blueprint for CAP-Based Alerting Systems

March 12, 2013

When data shows weather conditions threatening landfall of a tropical cyclone,
scientists and emergency managers rush to evaluate the danger. Airborne and satellite observations supplement surface-based data, helping local authorities decide where and when to issue official public alerts. With today’s sophisticated earth observations, maps, communications and information technology, countless lives are saved by early warning. Yet, for many events, in places around the world, societies continue to suffer immensely from disasters. Lives that might have been saved are still being lost, often for lack of reliable, timely warnings reaching affected populations. And, in some cases, when warnings are timely, an uneducated or unprepared public will be unable to act quickly enough to protect their lives and/or property.