Download free Hurricane GIS Shapefile Map Layers

With hurrican Irene on its way. I thought some of you may be interested in these historical hurricane shapefiles. These cover the period from 1851 up to 2004. I'm working also to include more recent hurricanes in the near future.

The paths of tropical cyclones and major hurricanes from 1851 to 2004.



The term "tropical cyclone" is a generic term for a low-pressure storm system that usually forms in the tropics. The unpredictable behavior, high seas, and devastating winds of tropical storms have challenged us for centuries. One of our best defenses against hurricanes and other tropical storms is informed readiness. The National Hurricane Center (NHC), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service (NWS), collects tropical cyclone data as part of its mission to save lives and mitigate property loss by issuing advisories of hazardous tropical weather. The NHC tracks hurricanes and other tropical cyclones over the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Eastern Pacific and issues hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings to the public. Computer models are used to forecast the track and intensity of a tropical storm. These statistical models use current information about a storm and compare it with historical knowledge about the behavior of similar tropical storms. The historical record for storms over the North Atlantic begins in 1851, and the record in the Pacific begins in 1949.

Download the free hurricane GIS shapefile map layers here

Mike Meuser

GIS Project Development, Data Research and Custom Shapefile Creation
Free GIS Software, Shapefiles, Maps and Tutorials
Free GPS, Aerial, TOPO Maps and News

If you have data, GIS project or custom shapefile needs send me an email

Premium Shapefiles: ZipCode, Indian & Federal Lands, School Districts, Tornadoes, Dams, Climate Change & Global Warming

Maps for Wildfire Season

All the precipitation in the West means increased fuel for wildfires. We've collected quite a few resources that should be of interest. Here's an example maps:



Check here for more wildfire related mapping and GIS resources

Mike Meuser

GIS Project Development, Data Research and Custom Shapefile Creation
Free GIS Software, Shapefiles, Maps and Tutorials
Free GPS, Aerial, TOPO Maps and News

If you have data, GIS project or custom shapefile needs send me an email

Premium Shapefiles: ZipCode, Indian & Federal Lands, School Districts, Tornadoes, Dams, Climate Change & Global Warming

Getting a Handle on Climate Change and What it Means for OUR FUTURE

It's been an amazing year. Tornadoes, floods, cold snaps, record rain and snowfall. I live in California and last week 4 tornadoes touched down in the Sacramento Valley and one twisted around for an hour flinging almond trees all over the place. We don't see many tornadoes in California. Winter is still here. We actually had a few days of spring last month, but been below freezing at 4,000 feet every night where I live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

And, of course, to add insult to injury so to speak, the record precipitation is bringing all the radioactivity from the 3 Fukushima meltdowns right down to the ground where we all live - why isn't this in the news everyday? Well, that's another story.

OH, and by the way, the world is also creating more CO2 than ever before - another record!



It's time to get a handle on climate change and what it may mean for our future. The damage has been done and we've got to be as ready as we can. I've created some GIS shapefiles based on the most recent IPCC data. I used the A2 scenario because it seems to be the most likely to me. You can find out more about the IPCC scenarios here. With these shapefiles I can look at and compare various changes and scenarios for each decade from 2010 through 2099. I can:

• Compare temperature changes throughout the year, month by month.
  
• Compare precipitation changes throughout the year, month by month.
  
• Combine the above and see where and when it's likely to snow or rain.
  
• Look at temperature changes and determine when a heavy snowpack might thaw quickly and early resulting in flooding.
  
• Look at temperature changes and detemine what might be the best vegetables to grow.
  
• Examine temperature changes and see what affect that might have on my land - wildlife and plantlife changes over time.
  

These are just a few examples. To learn more, check out the climate change GIS shapefiles I have created. You don't have to be an expert GIS guru. I provide a free GIS Tutorial and Atlas. It comes with access to free GIS software and it will get you up to speed quickly so that you can make your own climate change digital maps. Best of Luck - We're Going to Need It, Mike Meuser GIS Project Development, Data Research and Custom Shapefile Creation Free GIS Software, Shapefiles, Maps and Tutorials Free GPS, Aerial, TOPO Maps and News If you have data, GIS project or custom shapefile needs send me an email Premium Shapefiles: ZipCode, Indian & Federal Lands, School Districts, Tornadoes, Dams, Climate Change & Global Warming

U.S. Dams - Name, Location, Risk-Level, Purpose and Type of Dam Download ArcGIS Shapefiles

The Major Dams of the United States map layer is a subset of the 2005 National Inventory of Dams, extracted by the National Atlas of the United States®. It lists and describes more than 8,100 major dams in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Major dams include dams 50 feet or more in height, dams with a normal storage capacity of 5,000 acre-feet or more, and dams with a maximum storage capacity of 25,000 acre-feet or more. Descriptive information includes the dam name and location, the risk level associated with the dam, the purposes for which the dam was constructed, and the dam type.

Download the U.S. Dams and Associated Risk Level Shapefiles

Mike Meuser

GIS Project Development, Data Research and Custom Shapefile Creation
Free GIS Software, Shapefiles, Maps and Tutorials
Free GPS, Aerial, TOPO Maps and News

If you have data, GIS project or custom shapefile needs send me an email

Premium Shapefiles: ZipCode, Indian & Federal Lands, School Districts, Tornadoes, Dams, Climate Change & Global Warming

Download Tornado GIS Shapefiles

U.S. Tornadoes from 1950 through 2008. The United States Tornado Touchdown Points 1950-2008 map layer includes tornado touchdown points for tornadoes that occurred in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Descriptive information includes the latitude and longitude of the touchdown and lift-off points, the number of fatalities or injuries, an estimate of damage costs, and the classification of the storm on the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale.

Download U.S. Tornado GIS Shapefile Map Layers

Mike Meuser

GIS Project Development, Data Research and Custom Shapefile Creation
Free GIS Software, Shapefiles, Maps and Tutorials
Free GPS, Aerial, TOPO Maps and News

If you have data, GIS project or custom shapefile needs send me an email

Premium Shapefiles: ZipCode, Indian & Federal Lands, School Districts, Tornadoes, Dams, Climate Change & Global Warming

2010 National Transportation Atlas ArcGIS Map Layer Shapefiles Download

The free 2010 NTAD (National Transportation Atlas Database) shapefiles include railroads, ports, national parks, counties, states, highways, hazardous waste routes, airports, runways and much more.

Download the 2010 NTAD Shapefiles Here

Easy Free Interactive GIS Website Maps: Use Spreadsheet Data and Shapefiles

Amazing free software! Every once in awhile a truly great free GIS product shows up and Statplanet is the best I've seen for making flash-based interactive maps and graphs for websites.



Here's a little blurb from their website:

What is StatPlanet

StatPlanet is a browser-based interactive data visualization and mapping application. Use it to easily and rapidly create basic interactive Flash maps as well as feature-rich infographics.

Here for more information and to download StatPlanet

Indian and Federal Lands ArcGIS Shapefiles Updated

Indian & Federal Lands
ArcGIS Shapefiles

Click here if you are new to GIS and you
want to know what it is and how it is used.

Coverage: All U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska.

I have updated the shapefiles to include a .prj file. The latest version of ArcGIS Explorer (build 1500) requires these files. Some other GIS viewers and programs do not. ArcGIS Explorer is a fine program, but I've found that it needs a quite fast computer with a lot of memory to run well. You can download ArcGIS Explorer here or you can check out some free GIS viewers that are simpler and take less resources. You can use any of these to load, view and query the maps you make with these shapefiles.

TatukGIS Viewer 19.3 mb
TatukGIS Viewer documentation 2.2 mb
ArcExplorer 2.2 13.5 mb
ArcExplorer Java 63.6 mb

These ArcGIS shapefiles work with the free ArcExplorer GIS viewer, ArcView GIS, ArcGIS, Maptitude, Mapinfo, Manifold, TatukGIS and many other commercial GIS and mapping programs and many free GIS programs as well. Each layer includes easy to follow instructions that show you how to add streets, highways, census information and much more to your maps for free. We have included national level base maps with each map archive listed below. Also, check our free GIS software and free GIS ArcGIS shapefiles pages for more information and free ArcGIS shapefiles.

Read full page with live links

5 New Pages of Free GIS Software Programs - Make Your Own Maps

Just added 5 new pages of free GIS programs for you to download. If you are new to GIS, begin with "What is GIS? Then learn GIS basics with our Free Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas.

Once you've done that, check out all 9 pages of Free GIS Software Programs and all of the Free ArcGIS shapefile map layers that you can use to make your own digital maps.

If you are interested in a formal GIS education, check out our page of resources for online GIS certificates and degrees.

Mike

Click here for the first page of the Free GIS software programs.

Free Download: Oil and Gas Field ArcGIS Shapefile Maps

Interesting and timely oil and gas field shapefiles. More to come.

Shapefile for the Coalbed Methane Panels

Shapefiles for field boundaries (2007), resources (2006), reserves and production (2006), and the top 100 methane emitting coal mines (2005) ZIP.

Shapefile for the Shale Gas Plays Map.

Shapefiles for basin boundaries.

Shapefiles for play boundaries.

Shapefile for the Regional Oil and Gas Field Maps.

Shapefile for the Powder River, Greater Green River, Uinta-Piceance, and Paradox-San Juan Basins plus Shapefile for the Montana Thrust Belt.

Shapefile for the Appalachian Basin.

Shapefiles for the Black Warrior Basin, Denver Basin, Wyoming Thrust Belt, National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska plus the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 Area, and the South Florida Peninsula.

Shapefiles for the Eastern Great Basin, Eastern Oregon and Washington, Alaskan North Slope, Alaska's Cook Inlet, Ventura Basin, and Williston Basin.

Download the Oil and Gas Field Shapefiles

Gaza ArcGIS Arcview Shapefile Map Layers Download Free

Find More Free Shapefiles

Gaza Buildings (9K zip file)

Gaza Natural Features (8K zip file)

Gaza Places (3K zip file)

Gaza Points of Interest (2K zip file)

Gaza Railways (1K zip file)

Gaza Roads (342K zip file)

Gaza Waterways (4K zip file)

Source

These ArcGIS shapefiles are extracted from CloudMade data, derived from OpenStreetMap and are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 license. They are made available here by MapCruzin. If you use these files please make sure you attribute the OpenStreetMap community and MapCruzin by including a link to www.openstreetmap.org and www.mapcruzin.com. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. Find out more about Creative Commons licenses.

If you are new to GIS and shapefiles, check here to learn more. You can use and combine these free shapefiles in various ways with many of our free GIS mapping software programs and create your own GIS projects. Also, you can use our free Learn2Map Tutorial & Atlas and included free software.

Find More Free Shapefiles

Download Free Afghanistan ArcGIS Shapefile Map Layers

Afghanistan Airfields

Afghanistan Cultivated Areas

Afghanistan District Boundaries

Afghanistan Health Facilities

Afghanistan International Airports

Afghanistan International Boundaries

Afghanistan Irrigated Areas

Afghanistan Lakes

Afghanistan Landcover

Afghanistan Provincial Boundaries

Afghanistan Rivers (Line)

Afghanistan Rivers (Polygon)

Afghanistan Roads

Afghanistan Settlements

Afghanistan Watersheds

If you are new to GIS and shapefiles, check here to learn more. You can use and combine these free shapefiles in various ways with many of our free GIS mapping software programs and create your own GIS projects. Also, you can use our free Learn2Map Tutorial & Atlas and included free software.

KML2Shapefile - Convert Google Earth KML to ArcGIS Shapefile for GIS

KML2Shapefile is a plugin to MapWindow GIS that converts Google Earth KML and KMZ files into shapefiles for use in a GIS.

KML2Shapefile will split each KML geometry type into a separate shapefile. It supports complex geometries, and is able to present much of the KML as attribute data.

To use KML2Shapefile, download and install MapWindow GIS, and then KML2Shapefile. Activate it through the MapWindow GIS 'Plug-ins' tab.

Visit the KML2Shapefile website

More Free Google Earth Tools and Resource

Free Wireless ArcGIS GIS Shapefile Map Layers

Free Wireless ArcGIS GIS Shapefile Map Layers - Cell phone, educational broadband, microwave and more.

Download the wireless ArcGIS shapefile map layers now.

Free U.S. States ArcGIS Shapefile Map Layers to Download

Free U.S. States ArcGIS Shapefile Map Layers to Download. Several new ones will be added each day. Include administrative boundaries, parks, forests, water bodies, hospitals, churches, roads, highways, paths, trails .... more.

Download Free U.S. State ArcGIS Shapefiles

New Afghanistan ArcGIS Shapefiles Ready to Download

New Afghanistan ArcGIS Shapefiles are ready to download. Inludes map layers of rivers, provinces, airports, cultivated areas, irrigated areas and more.

Download Afghanistan ArcGIS Shapefile Map Layers

High Resolution Renewable Energy ArcGIS Shapefiles - Solar, Wind, Biomass, Hydrogen

High Resolution Renewable Energy ArcGIS Shapefiles - Solar, Wind, Biomass, Hydrogen - U.S. and International.

Download Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydrogen Renewable Energy Shapefiles

Renewable Wind Energy GIS Shapefile Map Layers

Renewable Wind Energy GIS Shapefile Map Layers. Determine wind density and speed.

Download Free Wind Energy Shapefiles.

Free Download EPA Criteria Pollutant ArcGIS Shapefile Map Layers

Free Download EPA Criteria Pollutant ArcGIS Shapefile Map Layers. Includes facility name, address, amount released and more for CO, carbon monoxide, NOx, nitrous oxide, SO2, sulfur dioxide, VOC, volatile organic compounds, NH3, ammonia, PM10, particulate matter 10 micrometers or less, PM2.5, particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or less.

Download EPA Criteria Pollutant Shapefiles.

If you are new to GIS, you can learn more and easily create maps using the above free GIS layers with our free Learn2map GIS Tutorial and Atlas.

EPA Geospatial Data in ArcGIS shapefile, KML and KMZ formats

The EPA Geospatial data provides locations for all the facilities that they regulate including NPL (superfund), RCRA (hazardous waste), TRI (toxic release inventory), PCS (water pollution permit compliance), RMP (risk management plans), ACRES (brownfields) and more in ArcGIS shapefile and KMZ / KML suitable for Google Earth and Google Maps.

Learn More and Access the Data.