The American Red Cross will use a drone to assess damage and provide aid to parts of Houston affected by Hurricane Harvey, the organization told Reuters Sept. 7.
The Red Cross will begin with one drone for a one-week test, funded by the United Parcel Service. The aircraft, built by Danvers, Mass.-based CyPhy Works, will be tied to a power supply and can fly up to 400 feet high. It will be able to take hours of footage of the hurricane's destruction to help assess damage and accelerate relief efforts, according to UPS spokesman Glenn Zaccara.
If the drone program is successful in Houston, Mr. Zaccara told Reuters Red Cross and UPS might deploy drones for Hurricane Irma relief efforts in Florida.
Since Harvey hit the coast of Texas Aug. 25, it has killed an estimated 50 people and caused as much as $180 billion in damage.
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