A web application that collects data from the community to monitor flooding and guide policy decisions in coastal areas provided vital information to researchers from the University of South Florida during hurricanes Helene and Milton. This tool is pivotal in assisting with policy-making and resource distribution.
A web application that collects data from the community in order to track flooding and influence policy in coastal regions supplied important information to scientists at the University of South Florida during hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Researchers from USF St. Petersburg, led by Professor Barnali Dixon, who specializes in GIS and Remote Sensing, utilized the CRIS-HAZARD application to study real-time flooding in Pinellas County, which boasts 588 miles of coastline. The app also gathered input from users in neighboring Hillsborough County during Hurricane Milton, expanding the scope of their research.
Developed in partnership with Georgia Tech, the app integrates volunteered geographic information and community-sourced data, including photographs and videos, with near real-time flooding data. By using advanced modeling and mapping technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), the app can estimate water levels based on user-submitted images, aiding emergency managers and policymakers in their decision-making.
The CRIS-HAZARD app launched quietly on September 18. Shortly after, Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s west coast north of Tampa Bay as a Category 4 storm. On October 9, Hurricane Milton struck south of Tampa Bay as a Category 3 hurricane.
The images collected from these consecutive storms provided valuable insights into the extent and location of flooding in the Tampa Bay area.
“People utilized the app to report conditions right outside their homes,” Dixon explained, who also heads USF’s Initiative on Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (iCAR). “This data reflects their real experiences, and our goal is to transform that experience into usable data through AI tools that process images to determine water depth. We can employ this information to calibrate and validate our models.”
Besides providing researchers with vital data, the shared images and videos are available to the public, helping residents stay informed about local flooding and hazards.
Dixon likens the app’s function to that of the real-time traffic app Waze, which allows users to monitor traffic slowdowns and police activity on roads and highways.
“We maintain a real-time display for approximately seven days before archiving the data,” Dixon remarked. “If a significant rain event occurs today, you want real-time information, not data from a month or two ago. However, historical data remains accessible for further analysis.”
In 2023, Dixon received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop the application. Her team has made notable strides since then, installing 14 cameras in St. Petersburg, with plans for an additional 30 in Pinellas County.
These cameras are mounted on five-foot poles marked with reflective tape that clearly indicate flooding as it happens. Each reflective strip is spaced six inches apart. Images captured during Hurricane Helene revealed that water levels rose about 3.5 feet above the seawall in several spots.
The new app offers an interactive experience and builds upon the existing Community Resiliency Information System (CRIS), a website launched in 2020 by iCAR.
The CRIS platform takes advantage of crowdsourced data to pinpoint climate-related vulnerabilities in communities. Local residents can provide updates about issues like flooding and power outages, which can then aid policymakers and community leaders in making informed decisions regarding resource allocation. Additionally, the data enables emergency management to pinpoint areas with residents needing transportation assistance or those reliant on power for medical devices.
Dixon has collaborated with community leaders in St. Petersburg’s Childs and Bartlett Park neighborhoods for several years, where residents have effectively used the system to prepare for severe storm events. Through the CRIS website, participants can access maps detailing their vulnerability to storm surges and rising sea levels. They are also able to share their own data and propose improvements to the system.
“We’ve utilized the application during all our community meetings,” remarked Erica Hall, executive director of the Florida Food Policy Council. “In my role as a community leader, this will tremendously help communities understand the links between sea-level rise, climate change, extreme heat, and coastal flooding. Some at-risk coastal neighborhoods also face food insecurity and health challenges. Having CRIS map these issues provides insights that help the community comprehend their situation.”
As the principal investigator, Dixon worked on the app with co-principal investigators Yi Qiang from USF’s School of Geosciences and two others from Georgia Tech, Subhrajit Guhathakurta from the College of Design, and Peng Chen from the College of Computing.
The research team will continue collaborating with community partners in St. Petersburg and other flood-vulnerable areas across Pinellas County to refine the app. As CRIS-HAZARD gains traction and data, the team aspires to extend its availability to communities nationwide.
