Traffic at a flooded street in suburban Chicago, Illinois

Resiliency and Emergency Preparedness

Keeping Society Moving

Hazardous weather conditions threaten countless communities each year, from impending hurricanes and winter storms to sudden flash-flooding events and wildfires. New vehicle technologies, such as electric batteries, may be more prone to catching fire when encountering flooded roadways. These modern hazards pose new threats to ensuring communities can be safely evacuated and emergency responders can efficiently go in to save lives and property. Furthermore, these hazards extend well beyond our own borders as they represent a global challenge.

EV/AV Operational Visibility Limits

EV/AV Operational Visibility Limits
*Some cases will impact the sensor but maybe negligible

NSF NCAR RAL Scientists, as part of a National Science Foundation-funded Global Center (see Partner list below), are exploring how long-term weather modeling combined with high-resolution microscale modeling can give street-by-street guidance about  these future weather hazards. This information is critical to ensure roads and bridges can withstand future environmental stressors and advanced vehicle technologies can navigate dynamic and disparate operational environments.

Partners

Publications

Contact

Curtis Walker

Scientist V

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