Deploying UAV technology to assess typhoon impacts in vulnerable communities in Guam

The U.S. territory of Guam is threatened annually by high-intensity storms and typhoons due to its location in the western Pacific Ocean. The island’s infrastructure – buildings, roads, and utilities – bear the brunt of typhoon damage, which in turn affects public health, the economy, and natural resources. Traditionally, these impacts have been observed via satellite, radar, and official weather stations.  Damages are assessed in the aftermath of the typhoon with a manual, on-the-ground approach led by the National Weather Service (NWS). This is often exhaustive and time-consuming for the assessment team. Observations from the ground can inadvertently create data gaps on damage assessments due to inaccessible areas caused by vegetative and construction debris, and flooded roads and pathways. This may not capture many impacts eligible for local or federal assistance. To address these data gaps and augment damage assessments, the University of Guam (UOG) Drone Corps program aims to assist local and federal government agencies (e.g., utility companies, public health, emergency services, and natural resource management) by collecting high-resolution aerial imagery to help prioritize and allocate limited resources. This presentation highlights the results of this novel collaboration of UOG, NWS, Guam Homeland Security (GHS), and the Office of the Governor of Guam in the creation of the damage assessment of Typhoon Mawar, which ravaged Guam on 24-25 May 2023. Following the typhoon, UOG worked with NWS to identify and capture imagery of vulnerable sites that were heavily impacted. This presentation will also share how UOG Drone Corps’ data was disseminated among other agencies as supplemental data for natural disaster recovery efforts. The presentation will conclude with a summary of the UOG Drone Corps program model as a resource for developing resiliency strategies for vulnerable island communities using advanced and emerging technologies.