Drone Army Is Ready to Swoop in for Florence Power Recovery

Bloomberg reports that a fleet of drones is being deployed to identify and fix damage caused by Hurricane Florence. "With the remnants of Hurricane Florence continuing to deluge the southeastern U.S., a small army of drones is being deployed to identify and fix damage caused by flooding. At least 53 drone teams have been recruited to help with damage assessment, said Brian Reil, a spokesman for Edison Electric Institute, the Washington-based industry group coordinating utility recovery efforts. Each team usually brings more than one drone and the force collectively includes about 100 to 160 operators, he said. While the storm has weakened into a tropical depression, Florence continued to dump record rainfall while areas of North Carolina are experiencing unprecedented flooding. Hundreds of roads have been shut in the region, making it dangerous or difficult to access areas to restore power. 'Drones are being used in the communities where the wind and rain have died down,' Reil said in an email Monday. 'In many cases, crews are not able to gain access to the most heavily damaged and flooded areas until the storm clears and it is deemed safe for them to enter.'"

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