Science that Weathers the Storm: USGS Responds to Hurricane Gustav

The U.S. Geological Survey continues to mobilize equipment and personnel to gather the scientific data and information on the impact of Hurricane Gustav.

USGS scientists will be:

• Collecting satellite imagery to assess the impact on wetlands, coasts, and changes in the elevation.
• Collecting water samples to determine the water quality in areas where there has been significant salt water intrusion.
• Marking and flagging high-water marks to document flooding and storm surge.
• Repairing and replacing damaged streamgages to restore flood warning capabilities.
• Collecting aerial photography and video to document the impact on the coast and wetlands.
• Using airborne laser mapping systems (LIDAR) to quantify coastal changes.

Need more information? View the USGS list of public affairs and state contacts.

The Science Response Vehicle is ready to be deployed from the USGS National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, La., in response to the possible landfall of Hurricane Gustav. The vehicle is equipped with computers, software, and plotters to provide mapping of specific data and provides a base of operations for scientific sample collection and field processing.

This interactive tool can be used to track storm surge and floods in real-time on Google Maps before, during and after the storm.

The map includes data from streamgages within the Gulf states, which is imperative to local, State and Federal officials in order to forecast floods and coordinate flood-response activities in the affected area.

USGS Storm Team (password required)