In addition to knowing if a neighborhood is experiencing active flooding, it helps to have a bit more data. How regularly do these events occur? Is flooding expected based on the forecast?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sensor is just the first part,\u201d remarked Brandon Wong, CEO for Hyfi, a maker of flood detection technology. He went on to explain how flood sensor data can offer the kinds of analysis of weather events cities need.<\/p>\n
The issue of flooding \u201cis growing more and more relevant within the communities we work with. Being able to have data, see what\u2019s going on,\u201d said Wong, is critically important. A new pilot project launched in Chicago this week to deploy about 50 sensors across the city. The first 10 have been installed in and around the Chatham neighborhood<\/a> in south Chicago, an area of frequent flooding.<\/p>\n Project partners include the city of Chicago, Hyfi and Verizon, which is funding the effort. The sensors can be easily deployed in under 20 minutes, without the need for trenching or hardwiring, said officials. They provide real-time data via Verizon\u2019s 5G communications network.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really a proof of concept to show how technology can improve the city\u2019s ability to respond and support residents during a flood event,\u201d said Donna Epps, chief responsible business officer for Verizon, speaking about the Chicago pilot.<\/p>\n The project is similar to one deployed in New Orleans<\/a> last year, also a partnership among the city, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Verizon and Hyfi. In that project, 27 sensors were deployed, with the data streamed to Streetwise<\/a>, a consumer app available to residents.<\/p>\n Urban flooding has been a persistent challenge for cities. However, severe weather events have become both more common and more intense, prompting planners and others to look for tools to mitigate these dangers. <\/p>\n \u201cIn Chicago, it [flooding] is already an ongoing challenge,\u201d said Brendan Schreiber, deputy commissioner and chief sewers engineer for Chicago, in an email. \u201cWe are seeing more severe rain events, which have a one percent chance of occurring in any given year. Some of these events involve more than six inches of rain falling in a short period from slow-moving storms.\u201d<\/p>\n It’s why the city has a well-developed emergency management plan, which officials regularly review, Schreiber added. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are seeing increased flooding events in the city due to climate change and have been working to adapt our infrastructure to accommodate the more intense rain events we are experiencing,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n The project in Chicago will run through the end of 2026, giving the city and community organizations more data to better understand flooding, and then develop mitigation strategies.<\/p>\n