Microsoft MSNBC has been working hard with its partner Pictometry to capture areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

After talking with the people on the ground supporting relief efforts, it became apparent that the lack of information about the status of homes and buildings was hampering relief efforts.

Getting new images of the area and displaying them alongside pictures of the area before the hurricane was therefore assessed as one of the critical actions to be taken in order to give:

a) evacuees the opportunity to view the damage to their homes and property and give
b) local agencies an easier way to determine which areas were hardest hit so that they could efficiently prioritize the ongoing cleanup.

The Katrina Flyover is one of Microsoft technology gifts to support the tremendous effort required to bring back normality and help in the New Orleans disaster area.

This visual showcase allows anyone to realize in much more detail the amount of damage cause by hurricane Katrina while providing a fantastic resource for online media and the press in discovering and investigating damage. As a matter of fact Katrina Flyover integrates also a “Blog This” feature allowing MSN Spaces users to re-use and remix this dramatic visual content in their own blogs.

[Continue reading Aerial Images Of New Orleans Before And After The Katrina Hurricane: MSNBC Launches Katrina Flyover]