For years across South Florida, local governments have been trying to innovate new ways to combat rising sea levels.
Last month we shared how Miami-Dade was working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to finalize a plan that will be voted on in August to transform the shoreline of Biscayne Bay.
But a new technology that’s been making its way through Florida plans to offer alternative solutions.
It may just look like a regular car, and that’s because it is. But what makes this the ‘Flood Rover’ is the technology that surrounds it.
“The Flood Rover is Google Street view for flooding,” shares Dan Rizza with Climate Central. “On top of the vehicle, there are cameras and sensors that allow it to scan its surroundings as it drives, allowing it to generate photorealistic simulations of potential future flooding, as well as first-floor elevation of buildings.”
This car, which Climate Central created, has made its way through Miami, Miami Beach, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.
The car goes to coastal communities and uses laser technology to gather visual and elevation measurements.
Through different photos Climate Central provided, you can see that with the help of AI, a regular street view transforms.
It shows what NOAA believes sea level rise would look like in 2050, plus the height of a ten-year flood.
“We hope that the technology can be used to visually demonstrate along the coastline the advantages of investing in resiliency measures and flood protection. The visuals can show the flooding that such measures can prevent,” explains Rizza.
While the images don’t account for protections like elevated roads or seawalls that local governments may have put in place, it does allow local municipalities, like the City of Fort Lauderdale, to reconsider their resiliency efforts and current plans.
“The tool that they are developing is really an opportunity to see what will happen if we don’t take action,” explains Dr. Nancy Gassman, the Assistant Public Works Director with the City of Fort Lauderdale, who focuses on sustainability.
She furthers, “What is nice about the tool is that it is fairly accurate, they are able to really represent true elevation, and because of that, it gives us a vision of where the challenges may be and what we need to do to address those issues because again those are the specter of the future if we don’t do anything.”
The Flood Rover is still in its testing phase and plans to keep trekking north along the coast to inform other local governments of its technology.
But it plans to return to Florida to assist with long-term projects.
Rizza explains. “The idea is showing places that people care about can make risks more relatable and real.”
