In Chicago, Verizon is building a network you won't use for calls, but you definitely need
Real-time monitoring is as crucial as it gets.
Verizon has just introduced a network of sensors in Chicago – these are not for you to get faster 5G and better TikTok connectivity. Instead, the carrier has rolled out something way more important: floodwater sensors, aimed at improving real-time monitoring in areas vulnerable to flooding.
Verizon's collaboration with startup Hyfi and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) is aimed at saving lives and property – as you know, floodings can be really devastating.
That's why fifty sensors, operating on Verizon's 5G network, have been placed in flood-prone neighborhoods. The system is powered by Hyfi, a startup that developed wireless, solar-powered water level sensors and a web-based platform to map flood conditions.
The idea seems like a really good one – Hyfi's platform tracks water levels and displays the information in real time, reducing the need for on-site calibration by emergency crews during storms. Plans are in place to make the app accessible to local residents so they can check flood data for their neighborhoods.
Chicago faces recurring challenges with heavy rainfall and urban flooding due to its combined sewer system, which can overflow during major storms, causing basement backups and street flooding. The new sensor network is intended to provide earlier and more precise information to city managers, emergency responders, and community organizations, allowing them to prepare and respond more effectively.
Community engagement is a key part of the project. CNT is working with local groups, including The Greater Chatham Initiative, Grassroots Empowerment Mission, and the North River Commission, to hold meetings and share flood safety information. These sessions aim to raise awareness of the data gathered by the sensors and how it can be used to improve preparedness.
The Chicago rollout follows a similar deployment in New Orleans last year, where the technology provided valuable data during Hurricane Francine. This initiative represents the first coordinated multi-city flood monitoring effort of its kind, with plans to expand to additional locations in the coming year.
Verizon's collaboration with startup Hyfi and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) is aimed at saving lives and property – as you know, floodings can be really devastating.
The idea seems like a really good one – Hyfi's platform tracks water levels and displays the information in real time, reducing the need for on-site calibration by emergency crews during storms. Plans are in place to make the app accessible to local residents so they can check flood data for their neighborhoods.
Chicago faces recurring challenges with heavy rainfall and urban flooding due to its combined sewer system, which can overflow during major storms, causing basement backups and street flooding. The new sensor network is intended to provide earlier and more precise information to city managers, emergency responders, and community organizations, allowing them to prepare and respond more effectively.
Urban flooding – when the local sewer system cannot cope with the amount of rain during a storm – is getting worse as severe storms are on the rise. Plus, increased development is creating more impervious surfaces. Our research has found the problem is worse in places where people with fewer resources live, so we’re excited to play a role in creating a new data source to help pinpoint flooding hot spots and find new ways to help communities address them.
–Nina Idemudia, CEO of Center for Neighborhood Technology, August 2025
Community engagement is a key part of the project. CNT is working with local groups, including The Greater Chatham Initiative, Grassroots Empowerment Mission, and the North River Commission, to hold meetings and share flood safety information. These sessions aim to raise awareness of the data gathered by the sensors and how it can be used to improve preparedness.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: