We knew that Tropical Storm Bill was brewing. We knew it was going to cause some serious damage. Technology told us so. We have access to state of the art weather analytics and forecasting, and all of that useful data is available at our fingertips, from any number of smartphone apps. Take, for example, the current weather emergency in Texas and Oklahoma. Meteorologists accurately predicted the formation of a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico. Their estimate of when it would hit the coast was spot on. Typically, when a tropical storm hits land, it weakens. Here in Texas, because last month was the wettest May in the history of wet Mays, weather experts warned that Tropical Storm Bill might not weaken when it reached our shores. The conditions were perfect for a Brown Ocean, a rare weather phenomenon that occurs when the ground is so saturated that the warm moisture on land is similar to the conditions at sea. The data suggested that Texas was very likely in Brown Ocean mode, and sure enough, Tropical Storm Bill grew stronger when it hit land. The technology used by meteorologists can take a wide range of variables, crunch the numbers, and reliably predict what the weather is going to do. Citizens can use a variety of weather apps to stay on top of things, but when it comes to severe weather, many look for official updates from their city officials.

Municipalities are starting to take advantage of technology to communicate with citizens, especially during emergencies, like when the record breaking rainfall caused Lewisville Lake, in Lewisville, Texas, to rise to dangerously high levels. City Councilman TJ Gilmore discussed the communication channels used by the City, saying, “We reach out to citizens using Facebook, Twitter, and email, as well as broadcast, voice, and text messages, based on the severity of the emergency. We also use our GIS services, Google Maps services, and GPS on city vehicles to coordinate our teams throughout the city.”

Josh Roberts, the City of Lewisville’s Emergency Management Coordinator expanded on that, saying, “It takes a multi-pronged, team approach to rapidly deliver potentially life-saving messages.” Roberts discussed the city’s use of outdoor warning sirens, social media, reverse emergency phone notifications, and digital billboards. He also discussed Lewisville’s brand new, crowdsourced, online Damage Report system that uses technology from Google. “While we generally feel we have a good idea of where damages occur, our philosophy is that our community is a resource, and part of our team, so this Damage Report Form is an attempt to harness the community as a resource for impact/damage assessment purposes.”

So we know ahead of time when we should expect the weather to make a mess of things. Technology tells us not to drive to Oklahoma, because the Interstate Highway 35 is flooded, and major bridges have collapsed. Technology informs citizens to pack up their valuables, because their homes are about to get flooded. This is important. Information is power, right? Technology gives us more than enough time, usually, to escape to safety. But is that the best it can do? Forewarn us of impending doom? Or should we expect more? Why aren’t there technological solutions to help prevent some of these problems? Or, if they exist, why aren’t they utilized?

When we get excessive amounts of rain here in North Texas, the authorities try to reassure citizens who live on or near any of the lakes. “The waters are reaching dangerous levels, but we’re making every effort to keep your homes safe. We have Denton County Jail inmates filling thousands of bags with sand so we can keep the water at bay.” I’m sure that provides some comfort. The water is getting closer and closer to their back porch, but there’s nothing to worry about. Prisoners are making sandbags by hand. Hopefully they can make them fast enough to save the day. So why aren’t we using technology to speed things up?

In 1793, Eli Whitney decided that separating cotton fibers from the seeds by hand was inefficient, so he created the cotton gin. If it worked for cotton, wouldn’t it work for sandbags? The answer, obviously, is yes, and there are several different types of machines that can make sandbags. It’s much faster than the inmate labor method.

But then again, why are we still using sandbags in the first place? Sandbags have been in use since the 18th century. They were used in the American Revolutionary War. It’s time consuming to have them filled and put in place, and it’s just as hard to get rid of them once the danger has subsided. They can only be used once, since they’re often contaminated by the filthy flood water. Are there not better solutions? Yes, in fact, there are. Here’s one example. The Wata-Wall Flood Defense barrier is a set of hollow cubes that connect together, and can then be filled with the very flood water they’ll be used to block. It’s faster, it doesn’t require sand, or any other costly resource. They can be used over and over again.

The Wata-Wall, while far better than sandbags, still requires manual work. The cubes have to be taken out of storage, stacked in place, and filled with water. After they’ve served their purpose, they have to be drained, and put back into storage. What we really need is an automated method to protect our roads, homes, and places of business. The good news is, they exist. We could install floating barricades that are completely hidden from view until they’re needed. When the waters rise, it causes the wall to rise. No human intervention necessary.

In Dallas, the Cole Park Storm Water Detention Vault prevents Interstate Highway 75 from flooding. The massive underground cavern can hold more than 71 million gallons of water. With infrastructure upgrades taking place across the country, and with the extensive work being done here in North Texas specifically, now is the time to invest in this type of safety infrastructure. The 35Express highway expansion project could include an underground water detention vault, since we’re already tearing everything apart and rebuilding it.

What are some other pain points caused by weather emergencies that might be alleviated with technology? How about driving routes? Every time we experience flooding, we inevitably see news stories about stranded motorists and daring helicopter rescues. Recently, Country music singer Blake Shelton made the news for helping a citizen who found himself in just that situation. Sometimes, it’s a situation where a driver simply didn’t realize the water was that deep until it was too late. Why aren’t municipalities investing in technology solutions to prevent these potentially life threatening situations? Solar powered sensors could be deployed in areas where this type of flooding is common, so that when the water reaches a level where it’s no longer safe to drive, the sensor triggers a flashing light, or an LED “Road Closed” warning sign. Why aren’t cities deploying Flood Navigation apps, that can offer flooded-road-avoidance driving directions?

I’d like to see more Dallas startups focusing on technology solutions for municipalities. I would hope that city council members in North Texas cities would see the benefit in technology that increases the safety and convenience for their citizens. What ideas do you have for technology based solutions for the problems you’ve encountered in your city? I’d love to hear them.

photo credit: Lorton Road 5 via photopin (license)