PriyaPatel
TLDR:
– Officials in New York City used talking drones to warn residents about heavy rainfall and flooding
– The drones failed their language test, with the message being indecipherable
In a recent incident, New York City officials attempted to use talking drones to warn residents about heavy rainfall and flooding ahead of Tropical Storm Debby. However, the drones failed their language test, with the message being reported as indecipherable by Gothamist. The drones were supposed to deliver a message in Spanish, but parts of the message were incomprehensible. This incident highlights the importance of accurate translations in emergency situations.
According to reports, a video of the drone above Staten Island recorded it speaking an indecipherable language, with only some parts of the message being understandable. The voice from the drone announced, “Heavy rainfall and flooding will take place until Wednesday morning. If you live in a basement or ground-floor apartment, be prepared to leave your location if flooding occurs.”
Despite efforts to convey the message in Spanish, after several seconds a different voice was heard saying, “Preparado para evacuar,” but the rest of the message was still incomprehensible. This incident raises concerns about the effectiveness of high-tech flood alerts in emergency situations.
