CHAPTER 7

UAVs for Emergency Condition Assessment

7.1 Description of UAVs for Emergency Condition Assessment

A brief overview of UAV technology in general is provided in Section 1.4. This chapter describes the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment.

Several agencies have used UAVs to map conditions after adverse events such as hurricanes or flooding. UAVs can be deployed to assess the current situation and the scope of the damage. For instance, an aerial view from a UAV can be used to evaluate the extent of flooding. According to the U.S. DOT, UAVs have been used to assess flood events since 2005 (Murphy 2019). UAVs can be used to determine volumetric estimates of debris and drainage issues. They can also be used to evaluate the condition of roads or bridges before emergency responders are deployed. UAVs can also reach areas that are not accessible by normal means. However, UAVs may have difficulty operating during heavy rain events (Murphy 2019).

Data and imagery collected during normal conditions can be compared to the conditions observed after a natural disaster to identify impacted areas. For example, after Hurricane Irma, the FAA immediately issued 132 airspace authorizations to use drones for search and rescue and to conduct damage assessments of critical structures (FAA 2017). UAVs were used in 2016 after Hurricane Matthew to inspect power lines and vegetation and have been used more recently for other hurricane response efforts (Wells 2018). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) used UAVs to oversee conditions during the Dixie Fire, the second-largest wildfire in California. One application was to check for evidence of fire in a steep gully, while another was to use thermal data to help fire crews immediately decide on their next move based on the situation (Tabor 2021).

7.2 Examples of UAV Applications for Emergency Condition Assessment

Because the UAV applications for emergency condition assessment are similar to the UAV applications for emergency response, traffic incident detection, and traffic monitoring, the same agencies noted in Section 4.2 were queried and the same process was utilized to identify agencies’ use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment.

7.2.1 Georgia

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment in Georgia. Additionally, the team was able to conduct a targeted interview with GDOT.

Summary of Literature for Georgia

GDOT used UAVs for damage assessment during recovery operations after Hurricane Michael (Campbell 2019). Georgia Power has been using UAVs since 2016 for hurricane response, including for Hurricane Michael. For Hurricane Michael, it used eight to nine drones to identify the damaged areas to restore power. Currently, it is launching new UAVs to measure the impact of hurricanes on transmission lines (Nord 2022).

Summary of Conversations with Georgia

A discussion with GDOT (Demario Hall, UAS Program Manager, Georgia Department of Transportation, personal communication, August 2023) indicated that it is assessing the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment, among other applications. The primary impetus for the use of UAVs is bridge inspection (see Chapter 4). However, this application intersects with the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment. The data from bridges and other infrastructure are collected via UAV, and then 3D models are created using specialized software. These 3D models can be used in emergency response applications. For instance, an archived 3D model of a bridge can be compared to one created after flooding to make an initial estimate of damage. The GDOT respondent did not have specific cost estimates for UAVs but noted that the largest costs are associated with training and software. Costs to purchase UAVs were not considered significant, and maintenance of the UAVs had been relatively simple. Training was noted as the biggest cost because the use of UAVs requires a pilot’s license. The respondent stated that estimates of the total costs for the use of UAVs need to account for not only the UAVs, but also communications equipment, software to turn the images into information, and training.

7.2.2 Florida

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment in Florida.

Summary of Literature for Florida

Rotorcraft UAVs were used to assess damage after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Infrastructure, including Fort Myers Bridge in southwest Florida, was examined for damage. UAVs were used again to assess general damage after Hurricane Michael in 2018. The assessment captured unreported damage to a Florida bridge (Murphy 2019). Florida Power and Light has also started using some UAVs to survey storm damage within Florida. These UAVs can fly 1,000 mi at a stretch (Morse 2022).

7.2.3 North Carolina

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment in North Carolina.

Summary of Literature for North Carolina

NCDOT’s aviation division formed 15 drone teams before Hurricane Florence to conduct search and rescue operations and to assess the state’s transportation structures including airports, roads, bridges, ferry terminals, waterways, and dams. UAVs were used to capture and compare footage of roads before the hurricane and then after the early stages of the hurricane. Ultimately, NCDOT’s efforts supported seven government agencies with a quick response. NCDOT notes that the program has a lower cost than traditional aircraft (NCDOT 2018). NCDOT also used

UAVs to assess the extent of flooding on major roadways during Hurricane Florence in 2018 (Murphy 2019).

7.2.4 Utah

One example was found in the literature that described the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment in Utah.

Summary of Literature for Utah

The Utah DOT (UDOT) has used UAVs to collect data and map avalanche hot spots using lidar sensors to create 3D maps that can be used to track snow depth (Government Fleet 2019).

7.3 Summary of Applications Involving the Use of UAVs for Emergency Condition Assessment

Four states were found to have piloted or deployed UAVs for emergency condition assessment, with the majority conducting deployments. Common applications for emergency condition assessment included the use of UAVs to assess general damage, identify damaged infrastructure, and provide information for emergency response personnel.

7.3.1 Advantages

Several advantages for the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment were noted in both the literature and conversations with agencies, with the main advantages including the following:

• Ability to access locations that are dangerous for human responders
• Ability to be dispatched quickly
• Ability to create 3D maps or images that can be compared before and after a natural disaster or at different stages of a construction project

7.3.2 Disadvantages

The main disadvantage noted for the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment includes the following:

• Impact of lightning and heavy rain, which can be problematic during storm events.

7.3.3 Challenges

Challenges for the use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment are similar to those for other UAVs (see Chapters 4 and 5).

7.3.4 Costs

Most of the sources consulted did not provide specific estimates of cost. In many cases, UAVs are owned by an agency and utilized for multiple purposes, which makes it difficult to isolate the costs for a given purpose. The U.S. DOT estimated that low-end missions can be conducted by drones costing around $1,000 (Murphy 2019).

However, while the cost and maintenance of UAVs is not prohibitive, the total cost includes costs for pilot training and licensing, training to operate the UAVs, communications equipment to download data from the UAVs, and software to turn the data into useful information. Several agencies noted that the largest cost was training pilots to operate the UAVs. As a result, it was difficult to estimate total costs.

7.3.5 Status

The use of UAVs for emergency condition assessment has been undertaken by a number of transportation or other agencies (such as utilities).