PHOTO: First responders on the Northshore hope to use newly developed technology to monitor flooding in real-time.
The St. Tammany Parish Fire District No. 4 partnered with the city of Mandeville to place a solar-powered sensor at the intersection of Carondelet and Lakeshore Drive. That sensor records the depth of water in the area.
Assistant Fire Chief Clint Ory told WDSU that the technology could help local leaders respond more proactively during storms.
"The idea is that, from a response standpoint, even before we start to get the calls that it’s flooding, we would be able to either alert the people who live in that area, or we would be able to start sending resources that way to help get them out before water enters a structure," Ory said.
He said the first sensor was placed in a flood-prone area to test the system's effectiveness.