How Drones Aid in Natural Disaster Response - 42West (2024)

As drone technology has advanced in recent years, drones are playing an increasingly vital role during natural disaster response efforts for many public safety agencies across the United States. They’ve also seen increased deployments in pre- and post-disaster efforts, as well.

In addition to providing improved situational awareness and operational response, drones also allow relief workers to operate remotely in disaster areas normally inaccessible to humans or manned vehicles. When mere seconds could mean the difference between life and death for those unfortunately caught within a disaster area, the roles that drones play cannot be overstated. Below are some examples of natural disaster response scenarios within which drones have been utilized:

How Drones Are Used in Natural Disaster Response

Search and Rescue

When natural disasters strike, search and rescue missions are often the top priority. Every second counts when lives are on the line. Each passing second feels like an eternity for those caught in the heart of natural disasters.

Thankfully, disaster response drones can be deployed much more quickly than traditional manned disaster response aircraft. This gives first responders the opportunity to carry out mission-critical reconnaissance and threat assessment of the disaster area prior to sending relief workers into the area to perform search and rescue operations. They also allow relief workers to cover large search grids much more efficiently than traditional ground relief teams.

Disaster response drones can also be outfitted with thermal imaging cameras and spotlights. This allows relief workers to locate heat signatures that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Emergency responders can also use drones to provide aid and relief by flying in emergency supplies (food, water, medicine, etc.) and communications equipment to victims that are trapped in difficult-to-reach locations. The advantages that disaster response drones provide are clear.

Insurance Firms

Relief workers and emergency responders aren’t the only ones relying on the many advantages that drones provide. Insurance adjusters are also using drones to help speed up the overall insurance inspection and claims process.

It can be very challenging for insurance adjusters to perform the necessary inspections safely in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Often, many disaster sites remain unsafe for extended periods and routinely lead to structural damage. Thankfully, drones allow insurance adjusters to safely carry out inspections remotely without the need to be physically present in dangerous environments. The quicker that they can assess the damage in the aftermath of a natural disaster, the faster insurance claims can be processed, allowing victims to begin the road toward recovery.

Pre- and Post-Disaster 3D Mapping of an Area

Aerial imaging and 3D mapping of areas prone to large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires can prove invaluable for disaster response efforts as well as insurance purposes. Emergency responders can utilize this data to help coordinate search and rescue efforts. Meanwhile, insurance companies can compare pre-existing data against those generated post-disaster to assess the damage and speed up the claims process more accurately.

This data can be gathered much more quickly and cost-effectively using drones rather than traditionally manned aircraft. The resulting data are typically much higher in resolution than what’s achievable through satellite imaging as well.

Real-World Examples of Drone-Use in Natural Disaster Response

• The 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China was one of the most destructive earthquakes in recorded history. It led to the collapse of many buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure in the area. Drones were used to help rescue teams target priority areas by identifying population-dense buildings (such as schools and hospitals) that had collapsed as well as routes that were made unusable due to caved in tunnels or bridges.
• In 2014, Médécins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) used drones to transport medical samples in their efforts to combat the Tuberculosis Epidemic plaguing Papua New Guinea’s remote Western Province.
• After the 2015 Nepal earthquake, many airstrips and refueling facilities throughout the country sustained significant damage, making the use of crewed rescue aircraft challenging. In addition to creating 3D maps of the disaster area to aid in damage assessment, drones equipped with thermal cameras were also used to facilitate search and rescue efforts.
• In May of 2020, drones were used to deliver COVID-19 test kits and PPE supplies to those in need in the remote Scottish Highlands. Delivery times were drastically reduced from up to six hours by road and ferry to just 15 minutes via drones.
• In April 2022, severe flooding and landslides struck the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. Due to the challenging terrain and inaccessibility of the region, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is using drones to help gather intelligence and capture aerial photographs to help analyze and assess flood-damaged areas.