Context: In October 2023, during Storms Aline and Bernard, the Lisbon Operational Command Centre faced heightened risks of urban flooding. Alcântara, a district in Lisbon known for its recurring drainage issues, was particularly vulnerable to heavy rainfall and potential flood damage.
Challenge: The main challenge was to quickly identify which areas were most at risk of flooding and take swift action to prevent damage. Alcântara, with its known drainage difficulties, required immediate attention, but timely identification of the threat and mobilization of resources was critical to avoiding severe consequences.
Solution: Our flood monitoring system is in operation at the Lisbon Operational Command Centre to provide real-time alerts. On 19/10/23, at 12:36, the system identified and issued a flood alert for Alcântara, triggering the immediate mobilization of resources by local authorities.
Results:
Units were preventively deployed in the downtown area standing by to act in case of floodings, however, the flood alert was issued in another part of town.
Due to the real-time alert, the authorities were able to arrive on the scene in less than 10 minutes.
Water levels reached 90 cm, but proactive action immediately restricted traffic circulation to the affected area and rainwater drains were cleared promptly.
Around 60 minutes later the area had returned to normal conditions with zero reported damage or injuries.
This success case demonstrates the effectiveness of our system in providing timely flood alerts, enabling authorities to swiftly identify high-risk areas and intervene before damage could occur.
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