Flooding Response Aided by Drone Technology
Drones have many potential applications for the electric utility industry, everything from routine overhead transmission line inspections to post-disaster damage assessment. And now we can add flooding response to the list thanks to current happenings in North Dakota!
How Drones Can Improve Flooding Response
North Dakota is a very drone-friendly state, with a number of federally-approved drone testing centers setup within the state’s borders to help develop Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and regulations around their usage, especially scenarios such as night-flying and flying in populous locations.
Not only is the state very drone friendly, but some areas are also prone to flooding, which makes it a perfect test bed to hone the technology. As such, the state has recently announced some expanded use-cases for drones, the most promising of which is to use drone imagery to help determine when to close flooded roads and then when to open them again.
The idea is to post drone imagery online so residents can keep updated on flooded roads. This imagery, which will likely encompass still photos as well as real time video, should help improve safety by reducing the odds that residents will inadvertently try and drive through severely flooded roadways. It can also help identify optimal evacuation routes when necessary. It can also help avoid or delay the disruption of the lives of local residents until it is absolutely necessary.
The technology should also help improve flooding response by helping utility recovery crews navigate flooded areas. In theory, helping crews get around will help speed storm recovery.
As a society, industry, and function (emergency preparedness), we’re only at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to leveraging drones to their fullest extent. While flooding response is one important element of what they can do, when it comes to other uses, the sky is the limit (pun intended!).
