While much of the Hurricane Ian recovery is focused on land, our partners at NOAA have been collecting data about what happened with the water, and assessing safety of the waterways. They have produced two story maps to share the results of these efforts. You can think of story maps as a slide show connected to a map. Kudos to NOAA and their network of partners including the US Coast Guard and US Army Corps of Engineers for doing this important work.
"Extreme Water Levels During Hurricane Ian" describes the path of the Hurricane and the resulting record high and low water levels across the state. NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) tracked water levels during the storm in real-time through the CO-OPS’ Coastal Inundation Dashboard. CO-OPS’ network of water level stations along the coast captured significant water levels at many locations, providing insight into the devastating impacts that Hurricane Ian had on the communities in its path.
"Hurricane Ian Response 2022" depicts the work of NOAA’s navigation response teams (NRT). These teams worked in coordination with the US Coast Guard and the US Army Corps of Engineers to determine if several waterways were safe for use following the hurricane. They conducted five surveys - two in the Tampa Bay area, one in Fort Myers, one in Capri Pass near Naples, and over the Franklin Lock and Dam.
Over the last few months I have used this space in the newsletter to create a picture of what it takes to foster innovation. November 2023 newsletter: Innovation is a team sport. It requires diverse perspectives and experiences to find a creative solutions. It requires courage to try things out and be willing to learn what won’t work as much as what will work. It requires tenacity to keep going and going and going.
Thank you to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (JHACH) for sponsoring and hosting our inaugural Morning Sparks: Innovation X-change breakfast. The event was kicked off by Alicia Schulhof, President of JHACH, and followed by an overview of the topic - Artificial Intelligence - by Dr. John Licato of USF's Advanced Machine and Human Reasoning Lab.
Kudos to the Volunteers of America Florida, City of St. Petersburg, and Pinellas County for the recent opening of the new downtown apartments, located in the Innovation District called Innovare. Innovare’s 50 apartments provide stable homes for individuals and families who earn 60 percent or less of the Area’s Median Income (AMI), including many who are transitioning from homelessness.