How can drones help during natural disasters?

Drones can play an important role during natural disasters, assisting search and rescue operations and making them more efficient and safe.

Let's try to figure out what exactly drones can do in critical situations and why it is advisable for rescuers to use them.

1. Quick assessment of the situation

Using drones, you can monitor the region affected by a natural disaster from the air in real time. A quick assessment of the situation using such a drone will help assess the extent of damage, detect hazards and better organize a rescue operation.

A drone with a good camera can cover very large areas at once, saving a lot of time. Studying the same territory, for example, from helicopters will take much longer.

2. Access to hard-to-reach places

Drones can also be used to study hard-to-reach, dangerous places, such as destroyed buildings and flooded areas, to understand whether there are victims there and whether it makes sense to send rescuers there. If so, drone data can help identify safer routes for rescuers.

3. Search and identification of victims

Drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras can help locate victims, including those trapped under debris or hidden in dense vegetation, especially during night operations.

Multispectral and infrared sensors can “see” through smoke, fog and dust, so a drone equipped with such sensors will help in finding people in difficult visibility conditions.

4. Delivery of the necessary accessories

Drones can be used to deliver medical supplies (first aid kits, medications, and defibrillators), food, water, blankets, and various life-saving equipment to victims in isolated, hard-to-reach areas. These supplies can help victims administer first aid to themselves and others and survive until rescuers arrive.

5. Monitoring and forecasting

Drones can also monitor environmental conditions such as rising water levels during floods or the spread of wildfires, which will help predict possible risks and plan further actions accordingly.