APSU GIS team helps create interactive maps of Clarksville tornado damage

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It's been one month since an EF-3 tornado ripped through the Clarksville community back in December.

"I have not seen anything like this," said Michael Wilson. "Flood events, yes, we've seen damage, but never for a tornado, never on this scale."

However, it was also one month ago when Wilson was called in to help with a critical project.

"I went to EMA to help start with the mapping process," he said.

Wilson is the Geographic Information System (GIS) Director for Austin Peay State University. When the tornado touched down, Wilson began working to help with damage assessments by using data and creating interactive maps.

"We basically put together a dashboard for them that if the assessors in the field have connectivity they could, with their mobile device, collect the assessment information and then that populated the dashboard pretty much live," he said.

While Wilson works to create the maps, Project Manager Doug Catellier was on the ground gathering video and thousands of images of the damage with his drone.

"I can capture a whole neighborhood," he said. "There may be five or 600 pictures all mosaicked into one picture, but it allows the people on the ground to get an idea of the overall picture," Catellier said.

It's a picture that sometimes can be hard to grasp in the moment.

"It's just like, dang, because you'll see one house that's totally gone, but the house next to it has a few shingles off of it," said Catellier. "It's like, 'How did this happen?'"

As the community works to rebuild, Wilson said they plan to continue using their maps and work to help in that process.

"The data is being used to answer several other questions that are helping these offices, the city and county agencies better help the citizens," he said.

Wilson said traditional mapping is typically done using pencil and paper and takes over a week to compile together.

With their technology, they were able to get this work done in a matter of days.

Wilson said their maps are also sent out to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that helps them determine federal funding for the area.