WeatherBug®, the leading provider of live, local weather information and services for consumer and professional users, today announced the availability of a no-cost weather data feed for the MARPLOT® mapping application and ALOHA® plume modeling program.

MARPLOT (Mapping Application for Response, Planning and Local Operational Tasks) is a general purpose mapping application that enables users to create, view and modify maps with key data including roads, water bodies, railroads, buildings, schools and emergency assets. ALOHA (Area Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres) is a plume modeling program that estimates threat zones associated with hazardous chemical releases including toxic gas clouds, fires and explosions. Both applications are used to define and assess the potential impact of areas that may be affected from the contamination of a chemical release. MARPLOT and ALOHA are part of the CAMEO® system software application suite used widely to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies. The CAMEO suite was developed jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

During a hazardous materials incident, first responders can use the WeatherBug MARPLOT Data Feed for quick access to weather data from both the National Weather Service (NWS) and WeatherBug weather observation stations for information more specific to the operational area for accurate time-optimized decision making. The MARPLOT Data Feed will enable first responders to:

• View and select weather stations closest to the incident site
• Access current wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity data
• Immediately assess conditions prior to arriving on-scene
• Accurately establish threat zones and make critical decisions to evacuate or provide shelter-in-place
• Monitor atmospheric conditions outside of the operational area for potential adverse impact
• Create plume models with improved accuracy for enhanced precision in response efforts

“The WeatherBug MARPLOT Data Feed will provide emergency personnel with the real-time, hyper-local weather information they need to assess atmospheric conditions closest to an incident site. Our dense network of weather sensors supplies up-to-the-second data for a complete depiction of the potential impacts from chemical dispersions,” said John Bosse, Director of WeatherBug Professional Services. “With the i ncreased vigilance necessary for homeland security, we are pleased that our data can be used for these initiatives and will serve to speed the flow of critical, local weather information to first responders.”

For more information or to download the data feed, visit the WeatherBug Professional MARPLOT Data Feed site. WeatherBug Professional is also exhibiting at the International Association of Emergency Managers Conference (IAEM/EMEX), November 2-4 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida located in Booth #536 for viewing a demonstration.