Hurricanes Irma and Harvey may be gone but they’ve left tremendous destruction in their wake. Amidst this devastation, disaster relief teams have employed numerous drones to assist them in their rescue operations. In fact, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, they were asked to release 132 airspace authorizations for drones to aid in disaster relief operations.

When authorities found out they did not have enough drones, they turned to military and law enforcement personnel for help. The Air National Guard, for example, used combat drones to carry out surveys, while Customs and Border Protection used unmanned aircraft to map areas, such as Key West and Miami. Civilian drone owners also volunteered to use their own drones to assist in rescue operations.

The use of drones in the wake of Hurricane Irma is nothing new. Drones have been used for disaster relief operations for years, and this trend is likely to continue in the foreseeable future.

What’s interesting about Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, however, is that local disaster relief personnel did not have enough drones. Most of the shortage was attributed to local regulations, but some observers also believe that there were simply not enough drones to satisfy the needs of local disaster relief personnel, indicating that local agencies may requisition additional drones in the years to come.

Drones Used During Irma and Harvey Disaster Relief Operations

A wide variety of drones were used for disaster relief as well as search and rescue operations in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. Most of the drones used were designed either for combat operations or search and rescue, but there were also plenty of hobby drones from local volunteers.

A few good examples include DJI Phatom 3s, Parrot Discos and PrecisionHawks, all of which were used for search and rescue operations. Likewise, a few DJI Phantom 4s as well as Mavic Pros were also used to survey damaged areas. A few GPS guided UAVs were also employed to make deliveries

Future Roles Drones in Disaster Relief Operations

Drones can be used in various ways before and after disasters. Aside from search and rescue operations, they can also used to survey isolated areas and strengthen local communities against the lingering effects of any disaster.

Other uses include:

– Reduce disaster workers’ exposure to unnecessary dangers.
– Offer unique viewing angles of various disaster areas.
– Offer a more maneuverable alternative to manned aircraft.

Moreover, because of their size and versatility, drones often outperform manned aircraft. Disaster relief personnel have used drones to map disaster afflicted areas, assess damaged structures, deliver vital supplies to isolated communities, detect wildfires and provide logistical support wherever they are needed.

As we have seen in Hurricane Irma, drones are also very useful when it comes to search and rescue operations, particularly in areas that are not quite visible by manned aircraft. A fleet of drones are not only useful for locating stranded or isolated persons, they are also quite useful at assessing damages to critical structures. As drone technology improves, we can expect them to play larger and more important roles in disaster relief operations.

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