APA Water and Planning Network

Urban flooding is a significant and growing challenge, exacerbated by climate change, aging infrastructure, and expanding urbanization. Despite the critical need for actionable, real-time flood data to address this issue, existing environmental monitoring solutions are often inadequate in their granularity, scalability, and real-time responsiveness. Motivated to address critical data gaps, FloodNet, supports community flood resilience and enhances flood emergency planning and response in urban environments. FloodNet technology combines sensor-driven telemetry, advanced AI-driven data processing, and scalable hardware to deliver accurate, real-time insights into flood dynamics. The technology is currently in beta-phase with a proof-of-concept installation in New York City (NYC) that comprises 275 sensors already deployed across NYC streets and a goal of 500 by 2027. The project’s technical lead Charlie Mydlarz will introduce FloodNet, its technology and the flood data it has captured so far.