Chris Pendelton highlights INLET using Microsoft’s Virtual Earth using a disaster scenario hypothetically occurring in Santa Clarita.  INLET stands for Internet-based Loss Estimation Tool and is a “web-based loss estimation and transportation modeling platform used to evaluate whether Information Technology (IT) solutions can reduce the impacts of disasters on transportation systems.“  The application was developed by ImageCat, Inc. based out of Long Beach, California and predicts impacts of widespread disasters on transportation routes and evacuation.

According to the company website, the features of INLET include:

⇒ Real-time ShakeCast alerts trigger calculations without user intervention
⇒ Real-time estimates of building damage per census tract by occupancy
⇒ Real-time estimates of injuries by severity, and casualties by census tract
⇒ Estimates damage highway bridges, extensible to critical facilities and portfolios
⇒ Computes losses from custom scenarios or USGS ShakeMap scenarios
⇒ Online application enables widespread use. No GIS software required
⇒ Can be used to prioritize mitigation, for planning scenarios, or for rapid response
⇒ Mapping uses Microsoft Virtual Earth

Currently the online mapping is limited to California. 

INLET