New York City’s emergency drones face backlash over incomprehensible Spanish warnings
New York City emergency management officials are facing criticism after drones deployed to inform residents about emergency weather conditions delivered gibberish Spanish messages. The high-tech drones, promoted as superior alternatives to traditional bullhorns, failed to provide clear warnings in Spanish, despite clear English messages.
Drones deliver unclear Spanish messages
Videos of drones hovering over New York neighborhoods revealed that while the emergency warnings were delivered in perfect English, the Spanish versions were nearly incomprehensible. “How is THAT the Spanish version? It’s almost incomprehensible,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter). Another commented, “Any Spanish-speaking NYer would do better.”
Official response and apology
In response to the backlash, Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, acknowledged the mistake and promised corrective action. “Thanks for flagging this. I’m very proud of the work our team has done preparing for this storm, but this shouldn’t have happened and we’re going to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Iscol posted on X.
The emergency management agency later explained that the issue lay in the recording of the message, not the translation itself. The problematic computer-generated message was broadcast in flood-prone areas across Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.
The importance of effective communication
Flash floods have proven deadly for New York residents, particularly those living in basement apartments. In 2021, 11 people lost their lives in such homes due to heavy rains from Hurricane Ida. In September of the previous year, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency as flash floods disrupted the subway system and transformed streets into small lakes.
Data shows that approximately 18 million people in the New York metropolitan area and other major East Coast cities have been affected by extreme weather conditions, making effective communication of warnings critical. The city introduced flash flood warning drones to address this need, an idea initially proposed by NYC Mayor Eric Adams.