How OvrWatch Accelerated Hurricane Helene's Disaster Recovery using Drone Docks in City of Ashville, USA

OvrWatch specializes in emergency response through autonomous drone operations. With extensive experience in insurance claims and disaster recovery, the company has positioned itself as a leader in implementing technology solutions that provide critical data during rebuilding efforts. Their approach combines technical expertise with practical knowledge of disaster management to deliver actionable insights when they matter most.
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During one of our Dock 'n' Roll webinar sessions, we spoke with Rhys Andersen, Founder and CEO of OvrWatch, a company pioneering autonomous drone networks for emergency response and disaster recovery. According to recent industry data, the use of drones in emergency response has grown by 86% since 2022, with cities investing an estimated $2.3 billion in drone-based disaster assessment technologies. Here's what Rhys had to say about their groundbreaking implementation in Asheville:

"I've been through hurricanes before, and we've done disaster stuff in multiple different types of disasters. There are a lot of different experts in that field and a lot of different aspects to it. One of the biggest things that we prioritize with OvrWatch is if you have the data and information to back things up, it makes life a lot easier during the whole rebuild process."
- Rhys Andersen, Founder and CEO, OvrWatch

Hurricane Helene caused unprecedented flooding in Asheville, North Carolina, creating several critical challenges:

• Widespread Damage Assessment Needs: The hurricane affected the entire city along the river path, requiring extensive and repeated monitoring of miles of damaged areas. Traditional methods were too slow and resource-intensive to provide timely insights.
• Limited Access to Damaged Areas: Flood damage rendered many areas inaccessible by road, with destroyed bridges and debris blocking critical routes. Emergency responders needed alternative methods to gain situational awareness.
• Resource Allocation Inefficiencies: Without real-time data, city officials struggled to effectively prioritize cleanup efforts and allocate resources to the most critical areas. This slowed recovery efforts and increased costs.
• Security Concerns in Damaged Areas: Looting and theft of materials (such as copper) from damaged properties emerged as a significant problem, requiring consistent monitoring capabilities beyond what human patrols could provide.

OvrWatch, in partnership with FlytBase and the Asheville Police Department, deployed a comprehensive network of drone docking stations strategically positioned throughout the affected areas. This solution expanded upon Asheville PD's existing drone program by creating an autonomous, always-available aerial monitoring system.

The process included:

• 13 drone docking stations placed strategically across Asheville to cover the entire damaged area, especially focusing on river-adjacent zones hardest hit by flooding
• Integration with FlytBase software to enable autonomous missions, remote piloting, and scheduled monitoring flights
• Connection to the Asheville PD's 911 dispatch system for immediate drone deployment to emergency locations
• Partnerships with local businesses to host docking stations, distributing infrastructure costs and enabling wider coverage

The implementation began with an initial deployment of 4-5 docking stations in the most severely affected areas of Asheville. After demonstrating value, OvrWatch gradually expanded to 13 docking stations to achieve complete coverage of the damaged zones within city limits. Captain Moore of Asheville PD, who had previously established a drone program with Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waivers, was instrumental in facilitating this rapid deployment.
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What made this implementation particularly notable was the creative funding approach. Rather than relying exclusively on city funds, OvrWatch established partnerships with local businesses who provided hosting locations for the docking stations in exchange for security benefits and access to aerial data. This distributed cost model made the large-scale deployment financially feasible during a time when municipal resources were already stretched thin by disaster recovery needs.
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"We were able to basically remove a lot of the cost burden to Asheville Police Department just because what we did was go to other routes to make sure that people worked in coordination with us. When you say, 'We want to help out this whole area, and we'd like to cover it with a dock which provides security for you and helps the entire area,' almost every single one of them says, 'Absolutely, let's do this.'"
- Rhys Andersen, Founder and CEO, OvrWatch

Enhanced Emergency Response

The integration with Asheville's 911 system has transformed emergency response capabilities. When a call comes in, operators immediately dispatch a drone from the nearest docking station, providing officers with visual information within 1-2 minutes. This situational awareness has directly led to faster apprehension of suspects and improved officer safety.
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"It's really cool to go in there and just see that anytime there's a call, within a minute or two, they're out on-site with the drone. For them, the thing that makes them the most passionate is just being able to respond anywhere in the city at any time."
- Rhys Andersen, Founder and CEO, OvrWatch

Efficient Resource Management

The system has dramatically improved cleanup and recovery operations. Over 900 vehicles were deposited in the river during the hurricane, along with countless pieces of debris and manufacturing materials. The drone network has enabled systematic tracking of cleanup progress, allowing contractors to verify completion and identify areas requiring additional attention.
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Documentation for Rebuilding

Regular aerial mapping has created a comprehensive timeline of the recovery process, providing invaluable documentation for insurance claims, federal disaster aid applications, and future flood mitigation planning. The ability to run identical drone missions repeatedly has enabled precise comparisons of recovery progress over time.

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Security Improvements

The drone network has helped address post-disaster security challenges by detecting unauthorized activity in damaged areas. This capability has deterred looting and allowed police to better protect vulnerable properties during the extended recovery period.

The success of the Asheville implementation has created a template for future disaster response deployments. OvrWatch is now developing standardized approaches to expedite similar implementations in other disaster-affected regions. They're focusing on pre-positioning equipment and establishing relationships with potential business partners in disaster-prone areas to enable even faster deployment when emergencies occur.
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Asheville PD plans to permanently incorporate the drone network into their regular operations, recognizing its value beyond disaster response. The infrastructure will support day-to-day policing activities while maintaining readiness for future emergency situations.
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"The goal for us was to say, 'What can we accomplish? What are limitations with the docks? What other products are in place to help us accomplish this? What about the waivers?' We had to assess that. And then once we did, we said, 'Let's go put out the first few,' got that done and then migrated from there."
- Rhys Andersen, Founder and CEO, OvrWatch

The OvrWatch implementation in Asheville represents a significant advancement in how cities can approach disaster recovery through technology. By combining autonomous drone capabilities with innovative partnership models, they've created a sustainable approach to emergency response that delivers immediate value while building long-term resilience. The success of this deployment demonstrates that even smaller cities can implement sophisticated drone networks when technology providers focus on practical solutions to real-world challenges.
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"If you're really passionate about this and you really feel like this is helpful and can make a difference and you can start a program, you can find the ways to get it done."
- Rhys Andersen, Founder and CEO, OvrWatch

Q1. How does an autonomous drone network improve disaster recovery efforts?

Autonomous drone networks provide consistent aerial monitoring without requiring human pilots for each mission. This allows for regular documentation of recovery progress, identification of hazards that might be missed from ground level, and the ability to access areas that remain difficult to reach by traditional means.
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Q2. What is the cost structure for implementing a citywide drone docking network?

While specific costs vary based on scale and local conditions, the Asheville implementation demonstrated that costs can be distributed through partnerships with local businesses. This model allows cities to achieve comprehensive coverage without bearing the entire financial burden through municipal budgets.
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Q3. How do drone docking stations maintain operations during power outages?

Docking stations can be equipped with backup power systems, though this requires additional planning. In the Asheville case, strategic placement at functioning businesses ensured power availability, while mobile docking options provided flexibility for areas with infrastructure challenges.
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Q4. What regulatory approvals are needed for a multi-dock drone implementation?

Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waivers from the FAA are typically required for autonomous drone operations. The Asheville Police Department had already secured these waivers for their drone program, which facilitated the rapid deployment of the expanded network during the disaster response.