North Carolina Receives Grant for Disaster Drone Program

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has received a $1.1 million federal grant to develop a drone program aimed at improving disaster response, particularly for hurricanes like Helene and Florence. This initiative will utilize 'drone-in-a-box' technology, allowing drones to be deployed remotely to collect damage data and deliver emergency supplies, such as medicine, directly to affected areas. NCDOT's interim director, Nick Short, emphasized the importance of this technology in providing timely assistance when traditional infrastructure is compromised. The program will initially be tested in Lumberton, with plans to expand to other locations in the state. This funding is part of a larger effort under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, where NCDOT was one of 47 recipients nationwide. The move reflects a growing recognition of the need for innovative solutions to address the challenges posed by increasingly severe natural disasters.