S.D. Develops New Hazard Dashboard To Track Environmental Threats

By Debbie L. Sklar, Times of San Diego

April 19, 2023

To help San Diegans understand and better prepare for environmental threats like wildfires and flooding, the city of San Diego has developed the San Diego Hazard Dashboard.

This new tool is accessible online and designed to give city staff a common operating picture of current weather conditions, potential environmental threats, and emerging information about regional incidents.

By linking the Hazard Dashboard to the city of San Diego website, this information can be provided promptly from a central location and is accessible to anyone. The Hazard Dashboard was developed by the city’s Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with the Department of Information Technology.

“The San Diego Hazard Dashboard is intended to provide regional information and situational awareness about real-time conditions and incidents or emergencies that pose threats to people and property,” said Christopher Heiser, OES executive director. “It provides vetted details and links to public data from local authorities.”

Dashboard users can click through a list of options to view current hazards and potential risks, including those from earthquakes, power outages, traffic maps, current weather conditions and radar, state water resources, social media feeds, and more.

Recent examples of environmental threats include the extreme heat that posed potential health risks for vulnerable San Diegans during the summer and fall of 2022. Then, in 2023, powerful wind and rain storms presented numerous occasions that required city staff to monitor conditions throughout the region with real-time information. The Hazard Dashboard provided emergency personnel with access to data from many sources to coordinate preparedness and responses.

The Hazard Dashboard is not intended to provide direction or emergency instructions to the public. San Diegans are encouraged to always follow the guidance of local law enforcement during an emergency, specifically regarding emergency actions and evacuations. Local fire and law enforcement agencies will provide the most accurate information during regional emergencies or smaller localized events.

To learn more, visit sandiego.gov/oes.

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