Examination of the Accuracy of Building Damage Detection Using Aerial Photographs in the 2012 Tsukuba Tornado Disaster

Abstract

When a disaster occurs, it is important to grasp damage at an early stage for quick disaster response. Aerial remote sensing can observe stricken areas quickly and extract detailed damage distribution by strong wind such as tornados and tropical cyclones. In this study, building damage due to the May 6, 2012 tornado, which gave significant building damge at Hojo district, Tsukuba City, was inspected from aerial photographs. The damage inspection result from the aerial photographs was compared with that by the local government in order to verify the accuracy of our image interpretation considering the structural type.