June 1 marked the start of the 2025 Hurricane Season in the Atlantic Ocean, withd the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting a busier-than-average year.
That means the need for trained online damage assessors is greater than ever, and the national Civil Air Patrol Geospatial Program has rolled out new training for both adult and cadet members to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state, and local governments in determining disasters’ impacts.
During the 2024 hurricane season, members of CAP’s Geospatial Damage Assessment Team worked all six major storms — Beryl, Debby, Ernesto, Francine, Helene, and Milton — that made landfalls in the U.S. and its territories. Those efforts helped prompt federal disaster declarations that rushed targeted relief to those affected.
The damage assessment team’s work, however, goes beyond hurricanes, with the team being activated once a month on average in response to disasters ranging from tornadoes and flooding to typhoons and wildfires. Since the team responded to its first major disaster, Hurricane Ida, in 2021, it has assisted in more than 60 incidents and helped countless communities recover faster.
“With every disaster, more is asked of us, and we are able to achieve faster and more accurate results, thanks to the volunteer efforts of our trained team members,” said Maj. Scott Kaplan, national CAP Geospatial Program manager. “And with the approaching season and new training, the time to join our team has never been better.”
Making those assessments requires trained damage assessment analysts. The team needs you!
One of the Geospatial Program’s biggest draws is that anyone can participate, regardless of location, age, gender, or physical condition.
“We work hard to enable everyone to be involved, and that’s been a big piece of our program since its beginning,” Kaplan said.
Completion of the training entitles CAP members to the “DATC” (Damage Assessment Training Course) Ops Qual for their 101 cards.
Members who want to complete this training need to go to the CAP geospatial page, sign up, and follow the four-module process._____Maj. Christopher FreezeNational CAP Geospatial Program
