Chongqing - As heavy rainfall recently hit Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, drone stations on towers and rooftops of the digital urban management center in the city's southwest Jiangjin District deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), for rapid inspections between rain intervals.
Equipped with high-definition cameras and AI recognition, the drones can complete precise inspections over a 5-kilometer radius within 30 minutes, covering hard-to-reach areas such as narrow alleys and riverbanks.
Real-time video is transmitted to the command center, where the system automatically identifies hazards such as displaced maintenance hole covers and flooded streets. Information is then sent to public security, emergency response, and other departments within seconds. From detection to work order issuance, the process takes less than 10 minutes.
The heavy rainfall, partially attributed to Typhoon "Yangliu", has affected 31 locations across Chongqing, including the Wanzhou, Shapingba, Jiulongpo, and Beibei districts, according to the city's Emergency Management Bureau on August 11.
Amid the city's high-tech flood response, officials emphasize that these integrated technologies, combining AI-driven data analysis, smart infrastructure monitoring, and UAV surveillance, have strengthened Chongqing's ability to respond quickly and effectively to extreme weather events, reducing risks to residents and infrastructure.
At the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's digital flood control command center, a large display screen provides real-time monitoring of urban flooding, from rising water levels in underpasses to the location of emergency teams. The system integrates data from over 700 water-level sensors, video surveillance devices, and 42 categories of meteorological and hydrological information into a single citywide risk map.
The Chongqing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's digital flood control command center. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development)
According to officials, AI algorithms analyze water depth and regional flow, compare the data to preset thresholds, and deliver precise alerts to districts, townships, and frontline response teams within 15 minutes. This system has reduced ineffective patrols by 75% and enables proactive prevention.
In Chongqing Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, smart lighting and bridge-tunnel monitoring systems act as early responders during storms. The smart lighting platform can remotely detect faulty streetlights, cut power to reduce hazards, and dispatch repair crews, lowering the risk of electric shock.
The smart lighting and bridge-tunnel monitoring systems in Chongqing Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone. (Photo/Chongqing Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone)
The bridge-tunnel monitoring system uses sensors and cameras to track water accumulation and structural conditions. When anomalies are detected, it immediately alerts traffic police, emergency services, and local personnel for coordinated drainage and clearance operations to restore normal traffic flow.
According to the Chongqing Municipal Meteorological Service, Typhoon "Yangliu" (Podul) has not directly impacted the city. Instead, the storm's influence on the position of the subtropical high-pressure system indirectly contributed to the rainfall. As the typhoon moves west and the subtropical high retreats eastward, the rainfall is expected to end by 8:00 p.m. on August 12, when Chongqing will come under the influence of northwesterly airflow on the eastern side of continental high pressure.
As of 6:00 a.m. on August 11, 14,784 people had been evacuated to avoid danger, with 439 relocated for emergency resettlement. No deaths or missing persons have been reported.