Abdulla Ahmed Almazrooa
Al Andalus Private School, Jeddah, Western, SAUDI ARABIA
Numerous cities around the world are overpopulated and therefore flooding has become a serious problem. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, suffered from extreme floods in 2009 that caused more than 100 fatalities. The main cause was heavy traffic jams that occurred during the rains and the lack of a system that is capable of monitoring floods in an urban environment. This project aims at the development of a wireless sensor network dedicated to optimal flood monitoring. Sonar, microphone and accelerometer sensors were tested and evaluated in a simulated environment for use in rainfall rate estimation, the critical component for forecasting floods. Sonar data showed multiple sound waves reflected off of simulated raindrops. The microphone data showed a 15:1 signal to noise ratio (SNR). This is an indication that microphone and sonar sensors are capable of efficient rainfall rate estimation, as they allow for the accumulation of more accurate data. The accelerometer shows a 4:1 SNR, which is too low for viable results. In addition, sonar and microphone devices are more efficient than traditional rainfall rate sensors. For example, Rain gauges require frequent maintenance, especially when deployed in a desert environment. Future works include developing a working prototype that would incorporate these sensors and be deployed in the Jeddah region. These could eventually be linked to the emergency systems and divert traffic patterns from life-threatening situations. The implications of this tool are to save material possessions and most importantly lives, in this local community and around the world!