1 / 4 Show caption + Hide caption – Maj. Mark Wessel and Charles McKenzie, along with ERDC’s UAS team, deploy fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing drones in support of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operations in western North Carolina. Deployed. The team is working to acquire imagery and survey data for local roads damaged by flooding from Hurricane Helen. (Image from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center) (Photo Credit: Provided) View original 2 / 4 Show caption + Hide caption – A portion of Old Tow River Road near Newland, North Carolina Due to the effects of Hurricane Helen in late September, it was completely washed away by massive flooding. This image was taken by the ERDC UAS team in support of the large-scale U.S. Army Corps of Engineers response to the disaster. (Image from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center) (Photo Credit: Supplied) View original 3 / 4 Show caption + Hide caption – A bridge along Old Tow River Road near Newland, North Carolina, is damaged by hurricane flooding. I suffered serious damage. Helen in late September. This image was taken by the ERDC UAS team in support of the large-scale U.S. Army Corps of Engineers response to the disaster. (U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Image) (Photo Credit: Provided) View original 4 / 4 Show caption + Hide caption – Image taken by the ERDC UAS team on October 14 shows the area near Old Cove Creek School The damage caused by the flood is shown. This image taken using the team’s fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing drone in Watauga County, North Carolina, shows a bridge near a school destroyed by flooding caused by Hurricane Helen in late September. . (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center image) (Photo courtesy: Provided) View original
As relief efforts continue for North Carolina communities affected by Hurricane Helen, teams at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi, are relying on high-quality aviation to guide recovery efforts. Photos provided.
ERDC Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ERDC UAS) teams have been deployed to three mountain counties in northwestern North Carolina, where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is assisting in clearing roads blocked by flooding and landslides. These aerial photos provide responders with a clearer and more complete bird’s eye view of the damage.
ERDC UAS Program Manager Jenny Laird said: “This data that we’re collecting, much of it in very rural areas, allows us to identify routes that can be cleared and reach areas and people in need. It is used to accurately identify the
Hurricane Helen, a Category 4 storm that made landfall on Florida’s northern Gulf Coast on September 26, also brought heavy rain and flooding further inland, causing extensive damage in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee and North Carolina. By September 28, hundreds of roads were closed across western North Carolina due to flooding and other damage.
The request for UAS support came from soldiers of the 27th Engineer Battalion (27th EN BN) who were in North Carolina as part of Task Force Castle. The request was handled by ERDC’s USACE Reachback Operations Center (UROC).
UROC worked with USACE Headquarters and the Field Force Engineering (FFE) program and with the 27th EN BN to finalize the mission requirements, which were quickly approved by USACE Deputy Military and International Operations Commander Brig. General Kirk Gibbs.
“Seeing USACE technology converge with engineer soldiers on the ground shows the incredible impact that a cohesive and skilled engineering team can have when they can provide solutions to problems wherever they are. ,” Gibbs said.
Through this FFE implementation, the ERDC UAS team was on-site and collecting images within 48 hours of mission approval.
“The areas we’re working in are more rural,” Laird said. “While there may be images of impassable areas from helicopters and satellites flying overhead, perhaps some of the resolution is not high enough and does not capture some of the small communities that are under lockdown. .
“Our capabilities help us zero in and reach areas where we need an instant bird’s eye view.”
ERDC’s research, testing, and experience with the latest UAS technology allowed the team to rapidly deploy the appropriate personnel and equipment to accomplish the mission. The team is using two UAS platforms: a small quadcopter for imaging and a fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for more detailed mapping and surveying.
“The dedication and expertise of our pilots in supporting emergency management missions is exceptional,” said Maj. Mark Wessel, ERDC UAS pilot. “The ability to provide real-time data, high-resolution imagery, and critical situational awareness makes it an invaluable asset to emergency management and USACE operations.”
Laird said the team can provide detailed orthomosaic maps and high-resolution 4K video, as well as images of closed roads and damaged terrain, to the larger USACE team within 24 hours of data collection. These products include digital elevation models that illuminate impassable roads and damaged bridges and reveal the location of various obstacles such as trees, landslides, and other debris.
“This kind of capability is something we’ve grown up with,” Laird said. “We have experience responding to numerous blue roof missions and hurricane efforts. We have earned respect for our ability to respond quickly and provide appropriate information to decision makers.”
The team’s mapping and surveying efforts in hard-hit Watauga, Avery, and Buncombe counties will not only help get aid to those in need, but will also help schools reopen by bus. It will also be useful in supporting reconstruction efforts, such as clearing routes.
ERDC, USACE, and the Engineer Regiment will continue to work together with local, state, and federal responses to Hurricanes Helen and Milton. These Army engineers bring fast and powerful capabilities to emergency response, but they are just one part of a larger federal, Army, and Department of Defense team working to support affected communities.
