Brooklyn, New York-based startup Cloud to Street has secured a $195,260 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) award to develop flood analytics technology.
Work would aid Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) efforts to enhance preparedness and response in accordance with S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP), seeking new solutions to provide real-time flood data sources and data analysis supporting FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
“The near real-time data provided by Cloud to Street’s technology could allow FEMA to quickly deploy the necessary resources when responding to flooding incidents,” SVIP Managing Director Melissa Oh said. “The NFIP can more accurately estimate the source, location, depth, and the effects of flooding to not only save more lives but mitigate against future losses.”
Per DHS S&T, Cloud to Street is a women-founded and led company serving as one of the first applicants to receive an award under the topic call. Their platform provides flood data and analytics via a combination of satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and on-the-ground data.
“Flooding is devastating for households and communities,” FEMA Federal Insurance Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Jackson said. “I look forward to exploring with Cloud to Street how their predictive and post-flood analysis can help us more quickly understand a major flood event so we can make timely decisions to support our policyholders.”