Winneshiek County Emergency Management is looking for reports of storm damage

Posted: Mon, Jul 16, 2018 5:09 PM

(Photo courtesy of the National Weather Service and Dustin Deeny)

Winneshiek County Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Snyder says his department has new damage assessment software to catalog damages in the county after a storm hits, such as happened Friday night. The damage assessment software allows people to "self-report" their damages.

The data collected will help Snyder to identify how widespread the damage to the county is from a storm which passes through. This system will also allow for a seamless transition to submit photos and information to FEMA if Winneshiek County or individual county residents are declared eligible for reimbursement.

Says Snyder, "The nice thing about this program is that it allows the individual to upload their own damage assessment pictures directly to the site. Once uploaded, the information is then seen by my department for further evaluation, if needed."

Access the software at: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/162782ba447e494a8a82fdae29625fd4?open=menu. You can download the app to your smartphone for ease of use after each storm. If people do not have a smartphone, a web browser option is also available.

Snyder says Friday evening 's storm resulted in a voluntary evacuation of the county fair for approximately two hours due to strong winds and excessive rain. Countless trees were damaged and several power lines fell as a result of the storm. There were also a few reports of homes that received damage.