ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Public Works is currently conducting practice runs of its windshield assessment process, a rapid survey method to prepare for post-storm response.
These drills help identify damage such as downed trees, blocked roads and broken traffic signals across Orange County.
The assessments ensure that roads are safe for first responders after a storm hits the area.
The windshield assessment is a key part of the county’s emergency management efforts, allowing two-person teams to drive through Orange County and report critical infrastructure issues.
Darrell Moody, a representative for Orange County Public Works, explained the importance of proactive measures. “We utilize those blue-sky days so that we don’t have to scramble in advance of the gray sky days,” Moody said. The department’s crews also work daily to clear drains, ditches and storm inlets to maintain water flow.
The windshield assessments involve dozens of two-person teams that drive Orange County roads after a storm, mapping damage and downed trees in real time.
This information is then sent directly to the eight maintenance facilities to quickly clear pathways for emergency services.
Moody emphasized the collaborative aspect of these operations.
“We work with our first responders, fire, EMS, law enforcement to essentially make sure that once a storm has moved out of the area, the roads are safe for them to respond,” Moody said.
Moody highlighted the critical nature of these exercises for disaster readiness. “Preparation is everything, especially in emergency management and response, so exercises like that are critical,” he said.
Technology also plays a significant role in enabling quicker responses.
Teams feed damage information into a GIS database, making the data readily available in real time for crews to address.
“Our teams are able to feed that information into a GIS database and that information is readily available in real time so that our crews can respond,” Moody said.
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