Thread by @arantec

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1/ We already know that nature is relentless. But it is also true that #technology can help to alleviate the most serious consequences of its onslaught

2/ That's why we don't quite agree when this @dwnews article argues that early warning systems are not valid for some phenomena such as #flashfloods dw.com/en/opinion-ger…

3/ Satellite observations such as those of @CopernicusEMS provide invaluable information, but at Arantec we believe that #earlywarningsystems gain in efficiency when the most problematic rivers are also monitored in real time

4/ Flash floods do not come out of nowhere, but are the result of #rainfall that may have occurred several kilometres upstream. Therefore, the first thing to know is which areas are most prone to this type of phenomena (#risk knowledge)

5/ The second phase is to deploy #monitoring devices to control the height of the water along several kilometres of the river course. Obviously, it's impossible to control all streams, but it is feasible to do so at least in areas where the risk is extreme (monitoring)

6/ The third phase is to transmit the #alert. A well-designed and implemented system has to take into account, for example, possible failures in telephone communications, so having satellite data delivery options is an interesting backup (communication of the alert)

7/ The fourth phase is the #response to the alert. You may only get a window of 10 or 15 minutes before the water floods the streets, but it may be enough to keep people away from the river banks or forget to take the car out of the garage

8/ And these are basically the 4 stages that an #earlywarning system should observe. When the design and implementation is correct and the coordination between teams is precise, it works. Also in the case of flash floods

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