Texas officials say private drones are interfering with flood rescue. This isn’t the first time personal drones have caused issues during emergencies.
Search and rescue operations continue in central Texas, where catastrophic flooding has killed at least 69 people. Dozens are still missing.
During a Sunday press conference, after the usual updates, officials made what has become a familiar request during recent natural disasters: Don’t fly your personal drones over the disaster area.
«We know that people want to volunteer, but what we are starting to see is personal drones flying», Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice told reporters. «These personal drones flying is a danger to aircraft, which then risks further operations.»
The Kerrville Police Department echoed Rice’s remarks on Sunday.
«Media-operated drones are interfering with official search and rescue drones. There is a no-fly zone in Kerr County for private drones», the department said on its Facebook page. «We need cooperation in this matter. Let our first responders do their job.»
During a press conference hosted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer of the Texas National Guard said the department had launched an MQ-9 Reaper — a remotely-piloted aircraft — to perform assessment operations.
«It’s truly an eye in the sky for our search and rescue people», Suelzer said.
Although drones are now commonly used in military and law enforcement operations, they are also popular among civilians, mostly for photography and shooting video, but also for those looking to help search after disasters. During several recent disasters, however, officials say those civilian drone operators have hindered rescue operations.
