Verizon’s first responder network has signed a deal to share its drones with the National Weather Service, hoping to “quickly” deploy the drones to monitor the aftermath of storms and tornadoes.
Not only will the new partnership allow the National Weather Service (NWS) to quickly assess storm damage, but drone footage could also inform research into tornado behavior. There are still many scientists who know nothing about tornadoes. A better understanding of how they form could help the NWS provide earlier and more accurate warnings to people, which could ultimately help save lives.
A better understanding of how tornadoes form could help the NWS issue earlier and more accurate warnings
“This collaboration has the potential to demonstrate how partnerships with Verizon and other organizations to capture drone imagery can significantly improve the NWS’s services to the public and partners during disasters,” said Tim Oram, chief of meteorological services at NWS Headquarters in the southern region. said in a press release yesterday.
Tornadoes often arise from supercell thunderstorms, which are storms that can produce a tall, anvil-shaped cloud. But exactly how, when and why tornadoes form is still a matter of open research. The impact of climate change on tornadoes is an even bigger mystery to solve.
Drones could give scientists a new perspective on answering these questions. After a storm, National Weather Service personnel fan out to study the aftermath and collect data that could improve forecasts for future tornadoes. But drones can get more quickly to places that are harder for people to traverse, especially if the storm has left blocked roads and destroyed infrastructure. They also provide higher resolution images than satellites have in the past.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which houses the NWS, already uses drones for hurricane research and disaster relief. The new three-year collaborative research and development agreement with Verizon Frontline is intended to advance this work by providing access to a larger fleet of drones. Verizon Frontline, the telecommunications first responder network, says it will also provide personnel if needed to quickly deploy the drones after a storm.
“Our goal, through our partnership with NOAA, is to develop ways to provide these agencies with high-resolution imagery much faster than they can today using our robust network and rapid mapping capabilities,” says Chris Sanders, a senior manager for the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team, the release said.