Conceptualising flood warning system for connected vehicles

Abstract

Floods are a common natural hazard in Malaysia during the monsoon season. It affects millions of people each year that leads to severe deaths and infrastructure destruction. In recent time, flood warning system (FWS) has been a notable topic but it has not been extensively implemented in Malaysia. In this study, we developed a FWS that can interface with connected vehicles in order to provide alerts to drivers while also sending warnings to end users. This type of FWS enables vehicles to connect with one another within a particular radius to broadcast flood information via long range (LoRa) communication technology. When the water level rises over a certain point, the system sends a warning to drivers indicated through a mobile application. Drivers have the option to take alternative route, reducing the likelihood of damage when driving into or near a flooded area. The developed application demonstrates that the warning was able to be instantly displayed to the driver if there is a significant increase in water level. Experimental evidence shows that the driver was able to receive the water level alert and a visual interpretation of the immediate area affected by flood through the application.