Code for Seattle

Seattle residents using technology to support civic engagement and address local issues.

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March spotlight: High Ground Alert

Rob Letchworth, Yonas Berhe, and their team are developing an emergency evacuation program that will enable mobile users to find the fastest route to safety in the event of a large-scale natural disaster.

pyroclastic flow evac

High Ground Alert will focus on areas vulnerable to volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, using volcanic mudflows from Mt. Rainier as their test scenario.

pyroclastic flows are avalanches of gases & ash, while lahars are a water & ash mudflow

Upon receiving a government-issued emergency SMS or Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), the user's phone responds with a map of the user's location, the pre-calculated danger zone, and the fastest route to safety.

The team plans to eventually collaborate with Pierce County Emergency Services to generate software that can be triggered by the right kind of WEAs.

How you can get involved

From Rob:

"Right now, we could especially use a GIS expert with some back end Python and/or Javascript experience to help us get our initial working software for the proof-of-concept site. Graphic artists and designers for the front end are also welcome. When we move on to the mobile part of our program, we will begin to need app developers, though we haven't yet decided which stack we want to us."

Catch the team at our Thursday night meetup or at https://github.com/YonasBerhe/groundhigh