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NOLA Flotilla -- The FloodSense Project |
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Above image of 2017 NOLA flooding due to pump failure by Brett Duke/NOLA.com/Times-Picayune/Associated Press.
FloodSense is an emerging Edge Collective collaboration with NOLA Flotilla, an organization in New Olreans focused on local resilience and adaptation. Below is a description of the initial framing and orientation of the goals of the FloodSense Project.
The core objective of FloodSense is to provide free and accessible water level data to the general public. Creating and installing this system of flood sensor nodes will be done in collaboration with the communities of New Orleans in which these sensor networks will reside.
Our prototype software and hardware designs will be posted at https://github.com/edgecollective/flood-sense.
Like a brooding storm, the ecological issues looming over New Orleans are vast and reflect the numerous climate issues we are currently facing as a planet. The city is a microcosm of these ecological challenges. And water management is its top priority.
Over the past decade, flash floods in New Orleans have steadily increased in frequency and magnitude. Added to this stark reality, coastal Louisiana is losing land at a rate faster than any other part of the world. As this trend continues, water will continue to pose a threat to the safety and well-being of New Orleans residents.
Although the ‘feet above sea level’ of an area plays a role in anticipating its water level risk, there is no predictable pattern to flash flooding in the city. Currently, the Big Easy employs a powerful pump system to mitigate the effects of flash floods and control waterways throughout the city. It’s an incredible feat of engineering that is continuously tested and used in times of crisis. In responding to flooding as it occurs, this existing system represents a reactive approach to the problem. In contrast, the FloodSense network presents an opportunity for New Orleans to take a proactive approach to flooding.
By accumulating water level data throughout the city, this system will provide vital information on areas of high risk as well as how quickly areas are draining water over time. As of now, citizens lack data regarding the most vulnerable parts of the city: their neighborhood streets. We believe that access to reliable flash flood data will give citizens agency to make informed decisions regarding their communities.
The FloodSense system is built on inexpensive, readily-available electronics and open-source software. Standalone sensors, or ‘nodes’, will be placed at key locations in the city. When triggered by rainfall, they’ll transmit data over a wi-fi network to a ‘gateway’ hub, which will store the information and send it to the cloud. The data will then be accessible through an online portal, where residents can view live (or historical) data on flash flooding anywhere in the city.
The strategy is to build the flood sensors “from the ground up”, by assembling the individual parts by hand. Homemade sensors cost a fraction of the price tag of existing products on the market. And by creating the sensors by hand, community members will be equipped with the knowledge of how the system works. This will not be a “black box” technology. By using inexpensive parts, the cost of replacing and fixing nodes will greatly reduce costs over the system’s lifetime.
The project will be phased out over time, with nodes incrementally added to select city intersections.
One’s ability to easily monitor and understand how this sensor network operates is key to promoting agency. In addition to providing a comprehensive online guide, FloodSense will team with other local organizations to promote awareness of this network, as well as host educational outreach workshops that encourage citizen involvement. Community members will be invited and encouraged to take part in the creation of their neighborhood’s FloodSense nodes.
- Live readings of water levels at specific points throughout the city
- Measurements of water level rise
- Sends warning when rate of flooding becomes dangerous
- Measurements of water level rate of drainage
- Alerts city which storm drains are in need of attention
- Accumulation of water level data over time
- Identify high-risk areas
- Provide summaries of overall neighborhood flood risk
- Map water level changes in areas over time
- Allows the city to identify patterns
- Are active pump systems performing as well as they need to? Is the system working?
- Quantify flash flood preparedness overall as a city