We continue to be shocked by the consequences caused by the DANA and the subsequent floods in the province of Valencia and Castilla La Mancha. Apart from the pain caused by the testimonies and the many victims and those affected, as professionals in the world of drones, we study the catastrophe to learn from the possible mistakes made and the possibilities that arise for the use of less conventional tools, but which are already part of the routine work of the Emergency Services and the Security Forces and Corps. We have surely already seen a multitude of aerial images, videos or maps that aim to study different aspects of the catastrophe.
We are referring to drones and satellites. Complementary systems that provide added value for crisis management, being able to participate in the different phases of catastrophe management.
Drones could be considered (and should be used with greater determination and number) as the great aerial data collectors, being able to do so in a preventive or urgent manner after the outcome of floods or inundations. In this sense, the Security Forces and Emergency Services, as well as the different bodies of the autonomous administration, already have specialized drone units, which, by remaining alert and inspecting the terrain, riverbeds, dams or sensitive areas in a preventive manner, could have launched the alert quickly and effectively.
Once the tragedy has occurred, these same unmanned aircraft can be used (and have been used) to search for missing people or those in trouble due to flooding of the riverbeds, and who have been trapped or isolated. They do so with a rapid and very effective deployment, and if they are used in large numbers, they can cover large areas. Not only do they allow the search and identification of people in trouble during the day, but they can also do so at night equipped with thermal imaging cameras, work that manned aviation generally does not do due to the risk to the crews on this type of flight.
At the moment, UAS or drones do not allow the rescue of people, so they must be used as a complementary tool so that rescue helicopters can carry out their work effectively. Images of the rescue of people trapped by floods by helicopters never leave our retinas, demonstrating the great work that this type of aircraft does.
It is also worth mentioning that there are more and more drones on the market capable of withstanding inclement weather, with increasing IP, which means that manned aircraft can be used in all-weather conditions. It is true that there were situations of squalls or small tornadoes, but the rapid collection of the equipment and subsequent take-off once the conditions are more suitable, redound to the effectiveness and flexibility of use of these devices. In addition, the point of view from a privileged position allows these phenomena to be seen from a distance.
Using drones, it is even possible to carry small loads (or larger ones depending on the need) to people who have been isolated and without assistance. They could easily carry a bottle of water, painkillers, emergency medicines, communications equipment, portable batteries and a whole host of other possibilities. Let's not forget that they can also be used to throw slings or guides to cross riverbeds or areas that are not suitable for the transit of vehicles or people.
But we must not stop there, because drones allow us to continue the search for missing persons hours or days after the catastrophe, combing the necessary terrain by taking aerial photographs with very good resolution, which could even allow a trained AI to recognise patterns and detect signs of missing persons or corpses.
In addition, they allow us to digitalise damaged structures, measure and detect problems in infrastructures, or review those that are believed to be in danger of collapse, being able to inspect areas that are difficult to access, such as bridge piles, high voltage towers, catenaries, unstable slopes and a long etcetera. All of this while guaranteeing the safety of the specialized operators of the facilities to be inspected, who would otherwise have to do so by working at height or in places that are difficult to access due to the destruction of the associated auxiliary infrastructure. The use of techniques such as photogrammetry or LIDAR surveying using drones are the ideal tools for obtaining digital twins (digitized models) for later study.
We have also seen how drones are used, with certain limitations but which are frankly worthwhile, in inspections in confined or difficult-to-access places, such as flooded garages or small tunnels. In these cases, having an initial view of what the rescue team will find at the site provides great added value. Even with the possibility of carrying sensors to measure air quality, they allow the risk to be reduced for the emergency teams themselves. For this type of task, specific, covered drones or small FPV drones are ideal, as we have seen when they are used by personnel from the Civil Guard and the National Police Corps.
The use of drones for the mere capture of aerial images for information purposes is also a high-value service, allowing the general public to know the magnitude of the catastrophe. Any self-respecting information medium has had aerial support through drone images.
It may sound like all these air operations, carried out in a specific area and coinciding in time, could be dangerous due to the high air traffic with the obvious risk of air collision, between manned aircraft and drones, or between drones. To this end, and the Valencia catastrophe could not be left behind in this regard, an airspace reservation or TRA (temporarily restricted area) has been published. This is a portion of airspace that covers the entire surface of the catastrophe and requires all aircraft, manned and unmanned, to coordinate with the 112 service of the Generalitat Valenciana, to obtain their flight authorization. In this case, the TRA portion of airspace covers from the ground to a height of 1,300 feet (about 400m). The TRA will be activated throughout November (from 4/11) to allow flights to be carried out safely, as far as risk in the air is concerned.
We must not forget that this type of operation, aimed at helping in the management of the catastrophe, is classified as NON-EASA operations, and must comply with the limitations (and facilities) determined by Rd 517/2024 in its Chapter III and in some additional articles referring to the geographic areas of UAS.
Regarding the use of satellites, there is no doubt that they constitute a source of data to analyze the catastrophe, but a posteriori. The Copernicus program of the European Union allows us to capture and process data through satellites, enabling measurements to determine the magnitude of the catastrophe. In this sense, 3,906 buildings are reported affected, 531.6 km of roads damaged, 15.2 km of railways affected or 3,079 ha affected by floods.
You can obtain more information at the following link:
https://rapidmapping.emergency.copernicus.eu/EMSR773/reporting
These are some of the reflections that we, professionals in the sector, can draw, confirming that drones should be used in a majority way for all the tasks mentioned, both for prevention and for the subsequent management of the catastrophe. We assist with a certain helplessness in certain situations in which we consider that drones would have been effective in saving lives or avoiding greater damage, so we will continue to support their increasingly massive and coordinated use.
