Texas A&M University researchers have developed a flood prediction tool that can improve emergency response during hurricanes.
The almost real-time device uses an algorithm to determine the flow of water with the help of information about a city’s architecture, drainage systems and flood gauges, according to a Texas A&M Engineering website news release.
Ali Mostafavi, assistant professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said in the release that knowing where water will flow is critical for first responders as they plan their rescues.
“Our new algorithm considers the underground drainage channels to provide an accurate representation of how floods propagate,” Mostafavi said in the release. “This tool, we think, can vastly help disaster management because first responders will be able to see which way flood water will flow in real time.”