New York City officials are sending drones equipped with loudspeakers to nearly a dozen flood-prone neighborhoods, warning residents of possible flooding starting Tuesday afternoon. Showers and a potentially severe thunderstorm could bring one to two inches of rain per hour ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Debby.
Forecasts calling for continued rainfall into Wednesday have prompted worries that dangerous flash flooding could disrupt commutes and even kill New Yorkers. Fourteen city residents died in 2021 when remnants of Hurricane Ida brought record-breaking rain.
“Over the next few days, there’s a risk of extensive rainfall, possible flash flooding and chances of damaging winds with thunderstorms,” Mayor Eric Adams said at his City Hall press conference on Tuesday.
Adams has enthusiastically embraced the use of drones and other technology for public safety, including monitoring beaches for potential drownings.
But Tuesday marks the first time the city is using drones for a weather event.
Officials emphasized that the drones are part of a broader effort to communicate with those living in basements, who are considered the most vulnerable during severe rainstorms. City officials say they have been working with 2,000 nonprofits to reach those residents.
“The engagement is there,” Adams said.
He added that there were “lessons learned” from Ida.
City officials said they deployed the drones to low-lying areas in the outer boroughs around 1 p.m. The affected neighborhoods include beachfront communities like Rockaway, Coney Island and New Dorp, as well as areas near the Bronx River. According to city officials, the drones are blasting messages in both English and Spanish.
Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, said the exact amount and location of rainfall is difficult to predict, but the heaviest rains are expected to fall between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
“Somewhere in the tristate area is gonna get hit hard,” Iscol told Gothamist.
He added that the drones are not instructing people to evacuate. Instead, they will warn residents about the potential for flooding.
“We are recommending to folks who live in areas that are prone to flooding to have a plan,” he said.
But the city’s plan to use drones has garnered criticism from some privacy and civil rights groups.
“Can’t believe all these years after Sandy, the best the mayor has done to address flooding risks are drones with loudspeakers to blare warnings,” tweeted Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the New York-based Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. “This is a bad joke.”
“When we can already alert millions of New Yorkers through cellphone alerts, how on earth is this a real solution?” Cahn continued.