In summer 2002, the historic center of Dresden and other parts of eastern Germany were devastated by floods within a couple of hours. Reconstruction of the regions will take years and require substantial human and financial efforts. In the chaos after the catastrophe, ARCADIS developed a web-based database to provide up-to-date information on the water damage. The database contains information on all registered claims, including their exact topographic coordinates, photos, claim forms, and names of all parties involved. The database links thousands of claims over a 1,644,486-acre area with hundreds of organizations that are involved in accessing the damage and conducting damage relief projects. Up-to-date statistics can be obtained at any time, providing all involved parties with information regarding the current status of each project. Using universal parameters, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), the system is also applicable for a range of other projects and areas.
