Natural Disasters
How our drones help
Natural disasters and drones have become a very popular topic. Most recently there was an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. The deployment of drones in this disaster feature in international headlines.
Nearly every week another natural disaster somewhere in the world makes another headline. Natural disasters seem to occur particularly on the Pacific Rim’s geologically active “Ring of Fire”. Estimates of 2018 costs of natural disasters amount to $155billion.
As we speak more are recorded and more are projected. Climate change is blamed for much of this. Disaster relief efforts worldwide are making use of drones. This especially true in regions lacking advanced infrastructure
Recent disasters
Indonesia
Earhthquake and tsunami
Indonesia
Earhthquake
Guatemala
Volcano
India
Floods
Japan
Floods
Nigeria
Floods
Pakistan
heat Wave
North Korea
Floods
Papua New Guinea
Earthquake
Greece
Wildfire
Use cases
Drones & natural disasters
Fires
Drones offer significant value in firefighting, reducing risks for pilots and crews while enhancing firefighting effectiveness. They operate in challenging conditions, dropping fire retardants accurately, maintaining and improving situational awareness through communication systems, and collecting critical data to pinpoint rapidly advancing fires.
Hurricanes
In the 2017 hurricane season, a response team used drones to assess flood damage, and therefor able to predict areas of future flood risk
Earthquakes
During the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City, teams used drones to create a map of hard-hit districts, and individual maps of specific buildings that had sustained major damage. The teams then made the maps available to city planners and architects who used these in reconstruction efforts.
Drone Features
The uses and usefulness of drones is limited only by the imagination. Here are a number features of drones that make them ideal tools for vario7 types of natural disaster response efforts.
THERMAL IMAGING
SPOTLIGHTS
ZOOM CAMERAS
Reconstruction & relief aid
01
PAYLOAD DROP SYSTEMS
Floods, damaged roads, and building rubble often obstruct emergency responders getting urgent supplies to trapped or injured people. Drones however, easily rise above these obstacles, carrying significant payloads, and dropping them where they are needed.
02
WIFI/CELL HOTSPOTS
Communication often becomes an issue when significant infrastructure damage has occurred as a result of an earthquake or hurricane. With the various communication options, drones are able to create temporary WiFi or cell hotspots. Drones meet the urgent communication needs. This way help to reach the places where its needs are highest.
03
3D IMAGING/MAPPING
Making use of data gathered by almost any standard off-the-shelf drone to produce high-quality 3D images and maps. In disaster-stricken areas, these maps can be effective in locating and assessing structural damage to buildings and other infrastructure elements. This information is effectively used in search and rescue efforts, as well as in beginning the major effort of reconstruction.
Clear value
When dealing with climatic, environmental, or industrial emergencies, time is of the essence. In a disorganized environment, it is vital to have access to reliable information, in order to respond in an appropriately and timely.
Drones and natural disasters are a perfect combination because of the flexibility for image production and prompt delivery around the world with prompt analysis services. Drones are the perfect complement to satellite imagery because they provide responsiveness, the ability to observe in cloudy weather and high resolution.