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How AI Improves Natural Disaster RecoveryWhen natural catastrophes strike, the immediate need is to save the local inhabitants and restore infrastructure to a functional state, especially power, fresh water, and healthcare.This is becoming a growing problem, with the bill for such events ever growing in the past decade, driven by climate change and a growing population.However, true recovery of a community takes a lot longer, with assessing damages and then rebuilding taking months, if not years.Often, this is delayed by the sheer overwhelming load of problems to identify and properly assess. Individual inspection of each building can take a lot of time, especially if insurance companies, emergency services, and other stakeholders are short on personnel.“Manual field inspections are labor-intensive and time-consuming, often delaying critical response efforts.” Abdullah Braik – C ivil engineering doctoral student at Texas A&MThis could now change thanks to AI technology. Two researchers at Texas A&M University have developed an AI system using remote sensing, deep learning, and restoration models to predict accurately in less than one hour tornado damage assessments and recovery.This method could help better organize recovery efforts, and was published in Sustainable Cities and Society1, under the title “ Post-tornado automated building damage evaluation and recovery prediction by integrating remote sensing, deep learning, and restoration models ”.“Our method uses high-resolution sensing imagery and deep learning algorithms to generate damage assessments within hours, immediately providing first responders and policymakers with actionable intelligence.” Abdullah Braik – C ivil engineering doctoral student at Texas A&MTornado Devastation: A Growing Threat in the U.S.When unleashed, nature can be devastating for people and the cities they live in. One such example is tornadoes, a relatively regular occurrence in many parts of the world, including the so-called Tornado Alley in the USA.For example, in spring 2011, Joplin, Missouri, was devastated by an EF5 tornado with estimated winds exceeding 200 mph (321 km/h). The storm killed 161 people, injured over 1,000, and damaged and destroyed around 8,000 homes and businesses. The tornado carved a mile-wide path through the densely populated south-central area of the city, leaving behind miles of splintered rubble and causing over $2 billion in damage.Just this month, deadly tornadoes destroyed many houses and caused major damage in the Midwest and the South of the USA.Deadly storms and tornadoes sweep across Midwest and SouthWatch this video on YouTubeIt will likely take a lot of time to fully grasp the full scale of the damage these tornadoes caused