UC students plan drone use for hurricane response

When Wehmeyer arrived in Bay County, he said it was like entering a time warp. Electric and communication lines were down, including the region’s cell network hub. As responders crossed county lines, their cell phones, including GPS tracking, simply stopped working.

“Everything we do in our lives today is tied to the devices in our pockets,” Wehmeyer said. “When we take that way, how are we going to function?”

After the disaster, Florida emergency officials expected information on each shelter’s condition, as well as the numbers of people sheltered and fed. With communication wiped out, Wehmeyer had no choice but to drive to each shelter, crawling along backed-up backroads that turned half-hour commutes into day-long excursions.

Drones would have proven invaluable in this scenario, Wehmeyer said. UAVs can fly over closed roads and traffic to relay important messages and collect data. Drones also can provide relief in search-and-rescue operations, primary damage assessment, rumor control and infrastructure inspection. 

UC professor Kelly Cohen, head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, agrees that drones could be an invaluable tool. Cohen sees a chance to use UC's drones to respond to a disaster.

“When we advance in the world of engineering, we find ways to impact society,” said Cohen. “This is a golden opportunity for UC to make a difference. If the ultimate goal is serving people, we must break the barrier between academia and emergency services.”

Cohen, alongside inspired graduate students, plans to write a proposal for a state-funded project investigating drone use in disaster responses.

Hurricanes aren’t going away. Rising global temperatures tied to humid airs and warmer waters are the right conditions for the brutal Atlantic storms. Drones, however, may be the right response. 

Featured image at top: Mexico Beach, Fla., is wrecked in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Photo/National Weather Service