National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency – LiDAR Data over Core Areas of Major 
Cities 

www1.nga.mil 

Program Highlights 

Data Product 

• High resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) of select urban areas. 


Advantages 

• Very high accuracy, density. 


Disadvantages 

• Coverage is generally small areas in urban cores. 
• Some processing is required to ensure proper bare earth model for flood study. 


Program Overview 

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has a goal to collect LiDAR over major urban areas 
in the United States. Funding is not consistent, so future collections are unpredictable. 

Data Details and Availability 

There are limitations for the use of the data. NGA will make the data available to the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA) and FEMA contractors working on a flood study. However, the data can 
be used for flood studies only and not distributed to anyone else or used for other purposes. 

Data Applicability to Flood Mapping Program 

These data meet FEMA’s terrain mapping requirements for all risk classes. 

Data Ordering 

Contact Paul Rooney for information on availability at (617) 832-4719 or paul.rooney@fema.dhs.gov.