LUMBERTON, N.C. — North Carolina is launching a new drone initiative to improve disaster response efforts, particularly in the aftermath of events like Hurricanes Helene and Florence.

The program, supported by a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, will enable faster delivery of emergency supplies and quicker damage assessments in affected areas, the North Carolina Department of Transportation said.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation secured a grant as one of 47 awardees across the country through the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program, an initiative supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Nick Short, the interim director of North Carolina’s Division of Aviation, highlighted the potential of this technology, which includes “drone-in-a-box” systems for remote operations. Autonomous drones can be placed in communities before a storm and then deployed remotely to start collecting images of damage and deliver emergency supplies. These drones can be dispatched rapidly and operate in conditions where traditional methods are hindered by obstacles or damage, speeding up response times dramatically.

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“With the ‘drone in a box,’ we can place a drone with medicine like insulin on the side of a road and then those supplies are there and ready to be deployed right away,” Short said. “We will be able to deploy the drone remotely, so we can begin collecting data and delivering supplies without having to wait on someone to respond by driving into the area. In doing so, we’re also removing the risk of putting people in further danger during a natural disaster.”

The “drone-in-a-box” pilot phase will begin in Lumberton, a city that has faced significant challenges from previous storms, NCDOT said. This approach not only seeks to address current disaster management needs but also to adapt to the increasing frequency and intensity of weather events.

“These storms tend to impact people in historically disadvantaged communities where roads and other infrastructure become inundated faster and for longer periods of time than many other communities,” Short said. “That was true in Lumberton during Hurricane Florence and is one of the main reasons we’re piloting this program there.”

Aviation officials hope to expand on their achievements during Hurricane Helene, where the division collaborated with the N.C. Department of Public Safety, the National Guard and the Civil Air Patrol, according to NCDOT. Together, they utilized drones, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to capture thousands of images of areas too isolated to access by land.

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