Project Background
As hurricane season intensifies along the Gulf Coast, San Patricio County, Texas, has taken proactive steps to keep residents safe and informed. Since early 2024, Blue Raster has been working with the County as its GIS professional services provider, helping to establish a comprehensive GIS program and supporting departments across the County with applications and visualizations to enhance daily workflows.
One of the most pressing requests from the County's leadership was the development of a Hurricane Preparedness Viewer ahead of the 2025 hurricane season. Built in collaboration with San Patricio County's Emergency Management team, the Viewer delivers real-time weather updates, emergency alerts, and evacuation resources to residents, ensuring that critical information is accessible when it's needed most.
A Critical Need on the Texas Gulf Coast
With more than 70,000 residents, San Patricio County sits in a region highly vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms. Access to accurate and timely information is essential for emergency preparedness. The new Hurricane Preparedness Viewer, built using ArcGIS Experience Builder, brings together live feeds, forecasts, and guidance resources in a single, easy-to-use dashboard.
The Viewer integrates:
- Real-time data from the National Weather Service on active warnings, tropical storms, and hurricane tracks.
- Preparedness guides in English and Spanish to ensure accessibility for all residents.
- Interactive maps and dashboards that make critical information easy to understand.
Empowering Emergency Management & Residents
The Hurricane Preparedness Viewer is paired with an internal Evacuation Zone Update application, giving San Patricio County's Emergency Management team the ability to dynamically update evacuation zones as conditions change.
- Dynamic symbology and alerts automatically highlight evacuation orders.
- Contextual mapping shows exactly which areas are impacted, reducing confusion and enabling faster decision-making.
- Mobile accessibility ensures residents can quickly access the tool on any device, whether at home or on the go.
This combination of real-time data, bilingual resources, and interactive design helps both residents and officials prepare, respond, and stay safe during hurricane events.
Strengthening Community Resilience with GIS
At Blue Raster, we believe GIS is a powerful tool for resilience planning and disaster response. Whether you're a local government, nonprofit, or community organization, our team can help design solutions tailored to your needs.
Interested in Applying GIS for Emergency Preparedness?
At Blue Raster, we believe GIS is a powerful tool for resilience planning and disaster response. Whether you're a local government, nonprofit, or community organization, our team can help design solutions tailored to your needs.
