The floods in Texas have been deemed historic in the past several days, with several individuals losing their lives in Houston and damages to homes and infrastructure rising rapidly. Evacuations have been taking place in that city, while the region around it received as much as a foot of rain within a very short period of time, CNN reported. Suffice it to say that the Coast Guard and local first responders have been pivotal throughout this trying time in the Lone Star State.
Protecting those in need
KHOU recently reported that one of the buildings impacted by the Houston floods was an assisted living facility that specifically caters to those suffering from Alzheimer's. Although the facility and area of Houston – Cypress Creek – did not flood during the initial span of rain, the source noted that it became a problem as some of the runoff began to make its way to the neighborhood.
Due to the severity of the flood, first responders had to step in to rescue the 40 residents of the facility, KHOU pointed out, while another 60 have been relocated to a safer building as well. This was not a straightforward rescue by any means, as the water had rose high enough to necessitate military vehicles to complete the task.
According to the news provider, Cypress Creek officials are on high alert given the fact that the floods are still pressing on the region's infrastructure. First responders will be on the front lines tackling the rescue and assistance needs of residents throughout Houston and its surrounding neighborhoods.
Assisting the responders
Texas A&M University hosted a discussion on the use of information technology to assist first responders through the challenges of their jobs, the school's newspaper The Eagle reported. As part of the Aggies Invent program, which takes place several times throughout the year, students were tasked with developing tools to protect first responders and help them more effectively serve the community.
According to The Eagle, teams dreamed up ideas spanning from advanced smoke detectors to spinal cord injury management and presented them at the event. The winning project ended up being a communication tool that uses drone technology to connect individuals in need with first responders more safely. By blending advanced innovation with first responders, communities will likely benefit immensely.