New York City recently introduced a drone warning system to alert residents about hazardous weather conditions, but the system’s Spanish language capabilities have fallen short. On Wednesday, a resident recorded a video showing a drone issuing a flood warning to NYC neighborhoods. While the message in English was clear, the Spanish warning was “incomprehensible,” as described by the resident who posted the video on X.
As a Spanish speaker, I can confidently say that this is incomprehensible. The city couldn’t find a single person who spoke Spanish to deliver this alert? https://t.co/uI9ERCuDmV
— Josefa Velásquez (@J__Velasquez) August 6, 2024
The English announcement about impending heavy rainfall was delivered in a clear and distinguishable tone, but the Spanish message resembled a robotic attempt at the language. Zach Iscol, NYC’s emergency management commissioner, acknowledged the issue on X, stating, “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.”
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the city had deployed the drones around 1 p.m. to warn residents about the approaching heavy rain. Iscol informed the newspaper that Mayor Eric Adams had initiated the use of drones as part of the city’s emergency alert system. This tech-heavy approach aligns with other initiatives Adams has implemented, such as a security robot for the Times Square subway station and the “Spot Robot,” also known as the “Digidog,” for the NYPD to use in hazardous situations like hostage standoffs.
