System and method for assessing the people and property impact of weather

• US 7,181,346 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DTN, LLC (TBG AG)
• Original Assignee: WSI Incorporated
• Inventors: Dempster, Douglas G., Kleist, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCELHENY JR, DONALD E
• Application Number:
  US11/095,345
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/4, 702/5, 342/26.R, 342 26 A- 26 D, 705/6, 705/7, 703/6, 703/9
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09

Abstract

A system and method for determining information about the potential impact of a significant weather event on a category of interest, such as a population base, property, traffic flow and infrastructure. Information about the forecasted path of a weather event is used in conjunction with census or other data to determine the human safety and property risks, etc. that are present in the situation. The path of the weather event is used to determine an area which is likely to be effected by the storm during the time period. The population, property value, traffic flow, infrastructure etc. within the area is determined to ascertain the impact of the weather event.

Claims

1. A method of determining the affect of a weather event on a category of interest, comprising:

obtaining weather data;

obtaining data regarding said category of interest, said data being segmented into geographic regions;

determining a weather-affected geographical region within a path of said weather event;

determining intersections of said weather-affected geographic region and said geographic regions, said determining intersections of said weather-affected geographic region and said geographic regions further comprises;

discarding non-intersecting areas of said weather-affected geographic region and said geographic regions;

determining an area of each intersection between said weather-affected geographic region and said geographic regions;

determining a quantity affected by said weather event in accordance with said intersections, said quantity being related to said category of interest, said determining a quantity affected by said weather event in accordance with said intersections further comprises;

determining a total of said category of interest for a predetermined geographic region;

multiplying said total by a ratio of each said area within said predetermined geographic region and an area of said predetermined geographic region to obtain a sub-quantity for each said area;

summing all sub-quantities to determine said quantity; and

providing a forecast including said quantity affected by said weather event as an indication of said affect of said weather event on said category of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, said weather-affected geographical region being a polygon, and said method further comprising:

determining vertices of said polygon as latitude, longitude pairs; and

determining vertices of said geographic areas as latitude, longitude pairs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting said total of said category of interest in accordance with one of a storm path probability and information related to a sub-section of said predetermined geographic region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said category of interest comprises one of a population, property values, traffic flow, and infrastructure in said geographic region.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a map projection that includes said weather-affected geographic region.

16. The method of claim 1, said providing a forecast further comprising:

producing a visualization of said quantity affected by said weather event as an indication of said affect of said weather event on said category of interest.

6. A system for determining the affect of a weather event on a category of interest, comprising:

a database receiving weather data and data regarding said category of interest, said data being segmented into geographic regions;

a processor for forecasting weather conditions and determining a weather-affected geographic region based on said weather conditions,

wherein intersections of said weather-affected geographic region and said predetermined geographic regions are determined to ascertain a quantity related to said category of interest affected by said weather event,

wherein said quantity affected by said weather is ascertained by determining an area of each intersection between said weather-affected geographic region and said geographic regions determining a total of said category of interest for a predetermined geographic region, multiplying said total by a ratio of each said area within said predetermined geographic region and an area of said predetermined geographic region to obtain a sub-quantity for each said area, and summing all sub-quantities to determine said quantity; and

a visualization system displaying said quantity related to said category of interest affected by said weather event.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said weather-affected geographical region is described as a polygon, and wherein vertices of said polygon and said geographic areas are latitude, longitude pairs.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising adjusting said quantity related to said category of interest in accordance with one of a storm path probability and information related to a sub-section of said predetermined geographic region.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said category of interest comprises one of a population, property values traffic flow and infrastructure in said geographic region.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein a map projection is selected that includes said weather-affected geographic region.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for instructing a computing device to perform the steps of:

obtaining weather data;

obtaining data regarding a category of interest, said data being segmented into geographic regions;

determining a weather-affected geographical region within a path of said weather event;

determining intersections of said weather-affected geographic region and said predetermined geographic regions, said step of determining intersections further comprising instructions to perform the steps of;

discarding non-intersecting areas of said weather-affected geographic region and said geographic regions;

determining an area of each intersection between said weather-affected geographic region and said geographic regions;

determining a quantity affected by said weather event in accordance with said intersections, said quantity being related to said category of interest, said step of determining a quantity affected by said weather event in accordance with said intersections further comprising instructions to perform the steps of;

determining a total of said category of interest for a predetermined geographic region;

multiplying said total by a ratio of each said area within said predetermined geographic region and an area of said predetermined geographic region to obtain a sub-quantity for each said area; and

summing all sub-quantities to determine said quantity; and

outputting said quantity related to said category of interest affected by said weather event for one or more of;

storage, display, and input.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, said weather-affected geographical region being a polygon, and said computer-readable medium further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

determining vertices of said polygon as latitude, longitude pairs; and

determining vertices of said geographic areas as latitude, longitude pairs.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to perform the step of adjusting said quantity related to said category of interest in accordance with one of a storm path probability and information related to a sub-section of said predetermined geographic region.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said category of interest comprises one of population, property values, traffic flow, and infrastructure in said geographic region.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to perform the steps of selecting a map projection that includes said weather-affected geographic region.