This post explains how the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) is leveraging drones, remote communications, and new sensor technologies to protect infrastructure and speed disaster response across Alaska’s vast and variable terrain.
It summarizes recent uses after Typhoon Halong in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the role of federal funding and regulatory approvals, avalanche mitigation applications, and ongoing recovery challenges in remote communities.
Remote sensing and communications: transforming disaster response in Alaska
Alaska’s combination of extreme weather, sparse communities, and limited road networks means traditional inspection and emergency response methods are often slow, expensive, and sometimes impossible.
Over the past few years, the state DOT has expanded use of unmanned aerial systems and satellite terminals to close that gap.
The DOT’s deployment strategy accelerated after Typhoon Halong battered the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
With support from a $12.4 million federal SMART Grant and an earlier FAA waiver for advanced drone testing, teams were pre-positioned to reach 35 rural communities and collected roughly 98,000 images and 540 videos — about 5 terabytes of aerial data.
Combined with rapid-connect Starlink terminals, that rapid aerial data was integrated with FEMA databases to speed emergency work authorizations and help remote communities qualify for federal assistance.
How aerial data shortens the timeline from damage to aid
Immediate, high-resolution imagery reduces time needed for damage verification and paperwork, which historically has delayed federal funding for isolated towns.
By pre-staging drone teams and remote communications hardware, Alaska can perform damage assessments within hours rather than days, enabling faster prioritization of repairs and life-saving resources.
Avalanche mitigation: faster, safer, more precise using drones
Beyond disaster aftermath, Alaska’s DOT is integrating drones into avalanche programs.
Drones are now routinely used for mapping high-risk slopes, monitoring snowpack conditions, and supporting controlled explosive operations to trigger and steer smaller, manageable releases of snow before they become catastrophic.
According to Avalanche Program Manager Timothy Glassett, drones deliver aerial assessments that are both faster and more cost-effective than helicopter missions.
Equipped with thermal sensors, they also provide invaluable data for search-and-rescue teams by detecting heat signatures under snow and pinpointing locations more precisely than traditional methods.
Targeting hotspots and emerging sensor solutions
The DOT has relied on an Avalanche Hazard Index analysis from a Utah firm to prioritize mitigation work in known hotspots such as Juneau, Thompson Pass, and parts of the Kenai Peninsula.
Alaska contends with multiple avalanche types — loose snow, glide failures, and especially wind- and storm-driven slab avalanches — each requiring different tactics and risk assessments.
Looking forward, engineers hope to add infrasound and Doppler radar sensors to detect avalanches in motion and automatically activate roadside warnings or gate closures.
These automated detection modalities could reduce response times and prevent vehicles from entering high-risk corridors during an avalanche event.
Lessons learned and next steps for resilient infrastructure
While the federal emergency declaration has ended, many communities still lack consistent power, potable water and intact transportation links.
The DOT’s experience shows that investments in technology, combined with flexible regulations, can accelerate recovery and make rural infrastructure more resilient.
Alaska’s DOT is a practical case study: when drones, satellite communications and new sensors are combined with sound planning and federal support, remote and weather‑exposed communities get help faster and safer.
Here is the source article for this story: Drones and explosives — How Alaska is using technology to manage extreme weather events