Delaware is quite vulnerable to substantial flooding due to its low elevation, and when paired with crowded beaches, this can be a recipe for disaster. Beachgoers come in droves when the heat is on for the summer season and when ecological situations strike, they tend to leave in droves too, making for tricky escape planning.
Why it matters: It takes a lot of work to coordinate mass evacuation and to know exactly where flooding is taking place, especially when there are thousands of sensors and data sources to monitor. That’s why the state of Delaware is looking to turn to AI to trigger future evacuation plans automatically, helping to save lives and resources.
- Delaware officials conduct evacuation procedures on a weekly basis during tourism season, training for flooding situations such as standing water on the roadways stranding drivers.
- AI could be used to detect and even predict weather threats and subsequently broadcast them on electronic highway signs as well as send information to drivers via cellphone alerts to improve the evacuation process. This way the state can send crews to help the drivers who need help more and concentrate its efforts accordingly.
- What used to take hours to detect could be done in minutes with AI, alleviating bureaucratic nightmares and bringing assistance to those who need it most in the quickest amount of time.
